29 Year Old Starts A Youtube Channel (again.)
I fumble with my cheap tripod, one of its legs threatening to collapse even though I’ve double checked the latch. A cell phone attachment clutches one of the more reliable legs, and I get my phone clamped, rotated and pointing in what I think is the right direction. After a few framing attempts, I stare at the lens, ready to regurgitate the life musings I’ve loosely scripted.
A gust of wind rushes over the valley, and before I can get out my first thought, the tripod tips. I imagine time slowing for any onlookers as I reach for the tripod, my surprised face morphing into desperation as the tripod lurches away from me.
I do not catch it before it crashes into the hillside.
I was 13 when I made my first Youtube video. With a mouth full of braces and a tone that suggests I know exactly what I’m talking about, I proceed to spend the next 10 minutes explaining the do’s and don’ts of auditioning with a monologue. (I was convinced I was going to grow up to be an actor.)
A few years later, my creative expression morphed into forcing my friends to act in my music videos. It wasn’t until my early twenties that I once again decided I was going to be a YouTuber, and I threw myself at creating Booktube content.
So much of my adolescence was framed by this desire to share pieces of myself online, build an audience and get paid to do my creative endeavors. I had little to no concept of what constituted oversharing, nor did I realize the impact of sharing my vulnerability online.
Here’s what I’ve learned over the last 16 years using social media as a creative expression.
- No matter what you do, there will always be someone smarter, funnier, and more attractive than you. Make sure you’re creating what YOU want.
- Don’t get lulled into a false since of anonymity. Anyone and everyone you know could potentially find your internet presence. Make sure to share only what you wouldn’t mind them knowing.
- Don’t do it for the money, but if you do, make sure you’re enjoying what you make and doing it consistently. If that’s the case, it’s only a matter of time before you find the success you desire.
Social media has changed a lot over the last 16 years, and here I am, once again finding myself with an itch to “try one more time” thinking, “maybe I just need a different niche this time.”
“Maybe I can still be a YouTuber.”
I was 29 when I made my most recent YouTube video. My hair is too short, from yet another dissatisfying haircut, and my tone is a little too bright. You can tell I’m putting on a persona, but this time it feels like a shade of the real me versus a character I’ve architected.
You can’t tell I’ve ditched my faulty tripod for a different location, nor that I’m unbothered by the preconceived notion of an audience I’m trying to reach. This time, I’m just telling my story in the way that feels good, authentic.
I stare at the camera lens on my iPhone, thinking about YouTube, TikTok and Instagram. I’m reminded of the force these tools possess when I’m creating from a place of conscious intention, and this time, I think it might be different.
