Exclusive – Meet Ketnipz, the Instagram sensation spreading positivity and mental wellness

At the age of just 21, Harry Hambley has already become an internet sensation through spreading positivity and mental wellness one doodle at a time.

An afternoon Zoom call with Harry Hambley (aka Ketnipz) had me rifling through old school planners to see if my brainless scribbles had any kind of value or potential. In the least surprising revelation of 2020, they did not.

From personal experience of the comprehensive schooling system in the UK, I can assert with some confidence that almost everyone, from the year 7s to the sixth formers, is doodling constantly during lesson hours. But not once had I come across someone canny enough or possessing the vision and drive to make a go of it as a full-time career until meeting Harry.

Growing up in Cardiff, Wales, Harry found himself facing a dilemma that dawns on many a student approaching their final year at high school, that being, ‘what on Earth am I going to do with my life, for the rest of my life?’ Little did he know, a few short years later he would go on to cultivate 1.6 million Instagram followers, become a source of inspiration to aspiring artists across the globe, and curate a prominent brand for mental wellness.

When coming up with his signature style, Harry had always envisioned creating an ambiguous character ‘so weirdly its own thing that people remember it’, and he truly hit the winning formula with ‘Bean’. The androgynous pink blob is the sole focus of Harry’s Instagram account Ketnipz, which sees it goes through a series of very relatable challenges in witty observational comic strips and animations. Barring a few early cartoons with a creepier flavour, you’ll quickly notice a common thread of mental health and self-care shining through.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BowcaLzHbqE/

In previous interviews and public appearances, Harry has been quick to highlight the stigma surrounding young people and the pressures brought on by social media. When prompted for Ketnipz’ role in that vein, Harry revealed, ‘I lean towards the escapism kind of stuff rather than being an activist page or something like that. I think if you want to make real change you have to do it in baby steps. For me, it’s always been about offering little things each day which will hopefully nudge someone in a healthier direction mentally.’

It’s that very ethos that has seen Ketnipz rocket to such popularity in so little time. Wanting to come across completely authentic with his followers and not punching above his weight, Harry takes a ‘natural approach’ to widespread issues, often saying to himself, ‘okay, this is a big issue. Maybe slowly over time we can get there.’

Having previously described his Beanscapades as a ‘small antidote’ to negative mental health, we pried into the probability of Bean tackling other social change issues with his signature blend of motivational yet non preachy material in the future. Harry was quick to assert that, for now, mental health will remain the sole focus. But he did express a desire to get ‘further educated’ on the nuances of other causes before considering branching out.

While it was never his intention, and he’s perhaps too humble to admit it, Harry is renowned as a top Gen Z entrepreneur. Leaving school, he didn’t rest on his laurels and wait around for opportunities to come to him. Instead, Harry went ‘flat out’ doing 15-hour days reaching out to prominent YouTubers to help out with merch and graphic design jobs, while consistently uploading to Ketnipz on the side.