Artist Shoog McDaniel Calls Themselves 'Un-Make-Fun-Able

When artist Shoog McDaniel dives into Florida's springs, they're not just creating art. They're teaching the world how to love yourself so fiercely that no insult can touch you.

McDaniel, who goes by Sugar McD on social media, creates mesmerizing underwater videos that pair stunning visuals with honest voiceovers about self-acceptance. In their latest Instagram post, they jump into a duckweed spring covered in yellowish-green leaves while sharing something revolutionary about dealing with body shamers.

"So many people comment on my funny body shape," McDaniel explains in the video. "I rather enjoy the cartoons people post, the memes comparing me to characters with skinny legs and arms and big middle bodies."

Instead of letting mockery hurt them, McDaniel flips the script entirely. "They're very cute, and it helps me feel cute as well," they say. "I'm un-make-fun-able."

That phrase struck a chord. Thousands of commenters called it their new mantra, celebrating McDaniel's refusal to give critics power over their happiness.

McDaniel told Upworthy they learned this wisdom the hard way. "I just don't take seriously criticism from people who I do not trust," they explained. "I have before, for a lot of my life when I did not have friends. That led me to deep, dark depression."

Now they listen only to trusted friends for feedback and reflection. The rest? Background noise.

Why This Inspires

McDaniel's journey shows how radical self-love can transform pain into power. Their art started with disposable cameras pulled from a dumpster in their early 20s. Without formal training, they've built a career documenting beauty in unexpected places, from ceramic sculptures interacting with fish in their short film "Tibby Down Below" to their signature underwater performances.

Their message resonates because it's real. McDaniel admits they're clumsy and adventurous, that landing wrong in water hurts their body, that they care deeply what close friends think. This isn't toxic positivity or pretending insults don't exist.

It's choosing which voices deserve space in your head. It's finding your own cartoon comparisons cute instead of cruel. It's diving into springs and oceans and life itself with full commitment, funny body shape and all.

One commenter captured it perfectly: "You are pure magic and whimsy, and your videos always make me smile."

McDaniel proves that becoming un-make-fun-able isn't about having thick skin—it's about knowing your worth so deeply that outside opinions simply don't stick.