In one TikTok video, Amy Livermore could be dancing around her lounge room while the caption shares a story of trauma, abuse or grief.
It is both a juxtaposition of emotions and a hallmark of the short, punchy style of the social media platform.
With one of her videos reaching 264,000 views and her account gaining 1.7 million likes, her formula works — and it is reaching a strong community of people who are benefiting from it.
"It's changed my life, really," she said.
"I've created a good, safe space for women and children, single mums, people within the LGBTQI community, people of colour or people with disabilities — it's a safe space to comment and ask for help.
"People within the comments help each other and it's a great platform to share for educational purposes."
'People get it'
Ms Livermore is a domestic violence survivor and has shared hundreds of videos recounting elements of her experiences, all within the conventions of TikTok.
Short videos, lip-synced songs and multiple videos cut together to tell a story.
It is a style that has become second nature for young people, who have turned TikTok, which has more than one billion active users, into one of the most popular apps in the world.
"I'm a very out-there person and I want it to be authentic and me," Ms Livermore said.
"Sometimes I do get hate for posting dancing videos with serious topics, but most of the time people get it.
"With domestic violence, you are going through a hard time, but with that you might have a baby and that can co-exist with such happiness as well."
Taking power back
Her videos also have the potential to reach and educate an enormous audience.
"Sharing stories is a huge part of me as a person, I'm an open book and I've always been a performer," she said.
"Being able to put together a safe space has helped me heal because I went silent for the first year after I got out of the relationship.
"I was scared to post on social media and scared to leave my house because I was scared of the repercussions, but now I feel really empowered, it's almost like I got my power back."
Social media mirage
Ms Livermore is proud of her modest upbringing and calls her account Bogan Barbie.
She says the name is a nod to her personality, but also shuns the stylised, glamorous social media accounts that can leave people feeling inadequate.
"I can be quite a Barbie doll at times because I like the glitz and glam, but most of the time I'm a bogan," she said.
"I grew up in the pits of Sydney in housing commission, which is fine, but I like to be real and not try to be a platform where other people feel sad their life isn't like mine.
"Some Instagram accounts are perfect and it crushes you sometimes."
'Shifting the blame'
Ms Livermore is participating in a panel discussion as part of Respect Week at the University of Wollongong this week.
Fellow abuse survivor and 2021 Australian of the Year Grace Tame will also visit the university as part of the events.
Ms Livermore said she would use the opportunity to reinforce the message of respect from men, given statistics show women are overwhelmingly the victim in domestic violence situations.
"I hope we can start breaking the stigma around domestic violence and start shifting the blame off survivors and onto the perpetrators," she said.
"The male patriarchy is a real thing and I want men to start acknowledging it's a gendered form of violence mainly perpetrated by men."
