Should I Start a Youtube Channel? (& other quarantine thoughts)

Make Something today, I’d love to see it

Everyone’s thinking it.

I’m sure a lot of people have been impacted by quarantine in a sense that they want to have a bigger social media presence. It makes sense. Everybody has been on their phones so much more since staying at home. No this does not mean you should start a channel. With that said.. should I start a channel? I’ve mentioned it before and might think more seriously about it.

I was joking about you though, if you want to start one go for it. You just need to stay committed. That’s what this blog post is really about.

Committed?

Everyone has good ideas and I'd risk saying that everyone has something entertaining to add to the creative public sphere. The hardest thing that I’ve felt about this is whether people have the attitudes and stamina to keep it up and be consistent. I know that’s my biggest struggle and it might be yours as well.

I change my mind often, I am a little bit of a perfectionist, and I want everything to have some bigger meaning. These are fine and all, but not for a youtube channel. I realize with myself that I jump around a lot and although it helps get ideas started it can be very troublesome with consistency. If you feel this way I may have some tips.

Tips

If you need the energy to feel upbeat for your channel then think more about a routine that can help you feel good consistently on a day to day basis. This could be exercising in the mornings and shooting the videos in the afternoon. Shooting right when you wake up to get it off your plate and feel good, or even just listening to a certain playlist.

If you’re like me and you jump around a lot in your head keep notes. Either in your phone or handwritten. I keep them in my phone of all the ideas I want to do, but I think I’m going to transition to handwritten notes soon. Something about the physical act of writing can slow me down enough to think it through and also remember it more later. Also, cool it with the caffeine sometimes (unless that’s your channel’s personality, but that just sounds exhausting). I currently have had two cups of coffee while writing this and feel like I’m on some major crackhead energy. It’s keeping me productive, but It might scare off viewers if I were to make a video right now.

Be chill.

If you can be chill it’s easier to be yourself. Your videos shouldn’t be an act you have to keep up with day by day if you want to start a channel. Keep it close to yourself and it’ll be easier to be consistent.

Finally

Shoot something damn it. You ain’t actually committing to anything if you’re reading my blog and then you go on youtube to look at other people’s channels for “inspiration”

Go shoot something and cut a crappy first draft video. Then make a second one. Then you’ve already got more content than most people. Especially in this time, people are looking for content to consume, so give it to them. Create, add something to the conversation and be enthusiastic about it. I’m excited to see what you guys create and if you are bored in quarantine this might be a great way to express yourself creatively. Everyone needs outlets of some kind, and whether or not you get thousands of views try it just for yourself. Like journaling, but a video.

I don’t get a ton of business from people reading my blog and I don’t get fame either, but it’s a creative outlet I enjoy so I continue to do it. I think a YouTube channel could be a creative challenge as well as an outlet. I hope you may see it the same.

ALSO

Be supportive of other people’s creativity, it doesn’t hurt you to bad to watch someones’s video real quick or leave a comment. People should just be more supportive of other people exploring new creative outlets for themselves.

Thanks for reading and I’m hoping more of these blogs will be like this on content specific ideas so stay tuned. (maybe tune into my channel if I start one)