Simsbury Woman Finds Viral Audience With Humor, Art And An Oreo-Fueled Instagram Hit

SIMSBURY, CT — Simsbury artist Rachel Marks started posting on Instagram as a place to share her artwork, comedy and everyday experiences.

Then came the Oreos.

Marks, a 30-year-old neurodivergent artist and Tunxis Community College student, said a humorous video putting her own spin on a social media trend has amassed about 4.7 million views, bringing a much larger audience to a page she uses to showcase both her personality and artwork.

"I've started creating Instagram videos because I wanted to create a page where I could display my art and be my true, authentic self through comedy, and connect with other people," Marks said.

The viral video was inspired by a trend in which people jokingly confront their pets about eating all of their treats.

Marks didn't have a pet play the culprit.

"My most viral video was a spin on a trend where people accuse their pets of eating all the treats," Marks said. "I decided, instead of accusing a pet of eating my Oreo cookies, to accuse the water bottle I was holding of eating my Oreo cookies."

Marks believes her delivery — and putting her own twist on an existing trend — helped propel the video to millions of views.

"The real reason the Oreo video went viral is because of the way that I speak in the video," Marks said. "I took a trend and added my own twist to the video."

She added another detail about the missing cookies: Her father had a box of Oreos, but they had actually been eaten well before she recorded the video.

Marks said her other posts range from jokes about being a "broke artist" to dad jokes and humor inspired by everyday situations.

But comedy represents only part of what she hopes to accomplish online.

Marks, who is originally from Connecticut and lives in Simsbury, is studying art history at Tunxis and works part-time at ShopRite.

She said she enjoys creating art, making humorous videos, and skincare in her free time.

She also uses her platform to discuss her experiences with neurodivergence and disability.

Marks said she has a mosaic of Turner syndrome and Triple X syndrome, meaning different cells in her body have different chromosomal patterns.

She said the condition can affect the pace at which she processes information and completes tasks.

"My diagnosis is a part of who I am, but it doesn't define everything about me," Marks said.

That perspective is one of the messages she wants people who encounter her videos and artwork to take away.

"I've learned that doing something at my own pace doesn't mean that I am incapable or unintelligent," Marks said. "I may need extra time to process information or accomplish tasks."

Marks said she hopes discussing her experiences can help others better understand that genetic and developmental differences do not affect everyone in the same way.

"My goal in discussing my diagnosis is to educate people and show that being disabled or having a genetic difference doesn't prevent someone like me from having goals," she said.

Turning An Online Audience Toward A Cause

Marks plans to continue making videos, including more posts featuring her artwork.

"I hope to keep posting on Instagram in the future," Marks said. "I hope to create more videos showcasing my artwork."

She is also using another online platform for a cause with a personal connection.

Marks said she has a Cameo account and is directing 100% of the proceeds she earns through it to Blood Cancer United, an organization supporting people affected by blood cancer.

Her father is a non-Hodgkin lymphoma survivor, she said, and the fundraising effort is intended in part as a special birthday gift for him.

Marks said she hopes the audience that discovered her through comedy can ultimately become part of something larger.

She described her broader goal simply: use humor and creativity to connect with people, talk openly about neurodivergence and help others feel less alone.

For Rachel Marks' Instagram page, click on this link.

For Rachel Marks' Cameo page, click on this link.