Perspective - Starting a YouTube Channel
If you have been following me, you have probably heard me say that I wanted to start a YouTube channel. Well, I’m excited to say that I finally took the plunge and made one. I was always too scared to try it because I assumed it was either too hard or people would be mean. However, I’ve only found one of those things to be true. Making videos is an incredible amount of work, and I now have a whole new appreciation for those who make these long-form video essays and reviews. So from that standpoint, it is hard, but I figured it doesn’t have to be fancy and I’m going to keep it simple. To the other point, people have been so nice and it really caught me off guard in all the best ways. But that’s not why I wanted to write about this experience. Making these videos over the last few weeks has me so inspired to learn and create more.
I go through ruts creatively, and I find normally two things that normally get me back on track. Either taking a short break until I want to get out there and create something or starting a new project. I mean that is why I made this Substack account. It holds me accountable to sit down and write out my thoughts, share some recent work, highlight someone who’s inspiring me, and tell more people about some music I like at least once a month. This is the same way I want to treat YouTube. In my opinion, creating things for yourself is always the easiest and most of the time the correct avenue. For me, I find as soon as I start trying to please everyone else or make something I think everyone would like, it becomes less fun and more taxing. That is the point I wanted to drive home this month because while I don’t know for sure, I get the feeling a lot of people are creating things for others and not themselves.
While it’s not always a bad thing, over time I think that is what makes people burn out. I have a good example for you, recently I made two reels for Instagram. One was a simple trend I saw on TikTok with some videos and “the art of noticing” laid over the top of it. I decided to make one because I thought people would like it, and it took me less than five minutes to put it together. That reel currently has 453,000 views and 42,000 likes, which is awesome. However, I feel it’s cheap and doesn’t hold any creative weight to it. On the flip side, I spent at least six hours making a reel from videos I recorded around town. I edited them with Dehancer and put some music over them. I love it so much because it makes me nostalgic for my hometown and creatively I thought it was a lot of fun. That reel has currently 10,000 views and 550 likes, which is still fine but clearly not as many. It is also the least “liked” thing I’ve made in a few years. The point is that doesn’t matter because I like it and I’m going to make more of them.
You see, I’m less likely to burn out if I’m having fun or I’m really engaged with what I’m making. Thinking back I feel this is where a lot of my burnout has happened before too. It is just important to remind ourselves that we like something, and that is what matters the most. It’s not the likes or engagement that should bring us happiness, it should be the work itself. But let me know what you think in the comments below.
You can find my channel HERE if you want to check it out.
Artist in Focus - Gavin Spellman
Gavin has been a friend of mine for a good while now, and recently he has been putting out some beautiful work that I have been really enjoying. You can find more from him on Instagram and Threads.
Please, enjoy his work below.
Two Hour Radio - Movements
It is almost Fall, so that means it’s time for Movements and other other bands like them. Below you find Movements live performance at Studio 4. This whole album is one of my favorites, and their song Daylily is a classic. I hope you enjoy it.
Developing News
I don’t have much news other than I started a YouTube channel HERE. Also, please don’t think that it means this will no longer be a thing, because I still plan on making these at least once a month or as things pop up. I say this every time, but I do want to try to get back to the original idea of a topic and the other points. However, this year has been really great for me creatively and I’ve been busy with a lot of different projects. I think I want to pick back making my book and use YouTube livestreams to get your help. I should be a lot of fun.
As always, please like, comment, or subscribe if this is fun for you or you think it is worth it. That helps a lot get this out to others.
On my way to subscribe to your YouTube channel now! I’ve been toying with the idea of starting my own channel too for a while because this past year I have really been enjoying making reels but like you said, I too always thought that long-form video was too hard or that I don’t have anything interesting to add into the already busy space. I’m really glad that it all worked out for you and I’ll definitely be tuning in.
Pumped about this!