"Just Keep Uploading" - a short article inspired by Casey Neistat

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Hey everyone, I wrote this article today. It's inspired by Casey Neistat.

I hope it inspires you to stay motivated with youtube.

-Dan




"Just Keep Uploading"


“Don’t think about making art, just get it done. Let everyone else decide if it’s good or bad, whether they love it or hate it. While they are deciding, make even more art.” - Andy Warhol



Still image from Casey Neistat’s “Bike Lanes” video

A few years ago, I was one of millions who watched Casey Neistat’s three minute and three second video, Bike Lanes.

It was remarkable. Not in the “extraordinary” sense of the word, but more in the literal definition. It was the sort of video that you might remark on. To a friend, later that day, you might say, “Hey, did you see that video?”

That is, perhaps, what it takes to go viral. Not extraordinary effects, not outrageous drama, just a simple idea worth remarking on to others.


* * *


So, how does that happen? How did I, and millions of others, become familiar with Casey and his work? Was it because of Bike Lanes?

Without question, a viral video like Bike Lanes makes it easier to get name recognition and to attract new fans. But it’s not Bike Lanes that keeps those fans. It’s not Bike Lanes that gave me the sense that I “know” Casey Neistat.

I know Casey for two reasons:

I know Casey through his decision to upload a video every single day.

I know Casey through his work ethic to continue uploading a video every single day.

That’s it. At some point while watching his daily videos, I realized— Oh yeah, he’s the guy who made Bike Lanes. But Bike Lanes didn’t make me a Casey Neistat fan. Bike Lanes was just remarkable. To get a fan base, you need to be more than just remarkable.



Still image from Casey’s “Make it Count” video




Last week Casey Neistat passed three million subscribers on YouTube. His every daily videos consistently get over a million views.

The day he passed three million, Casey shared what he calls the best YouTube advice he’s ever heard:

“Just Keep Uploading.”

As I grow my own YouTube channel, I appreciate this advice in its literal sense. But it’s sound advice, no matter what you’re trying to achieve in life.

Want to be a writer? Just keep writing.

Want to be a programmer? Just keep programming.

Want to open a french bakery? Just keep baking.


* * *

There’s nothing remarkable about this advice. If it sounds incredibly simple, it’s because it is. But it’s very easy to forget when what you want seems far off and unattainable. When you look at the champions in your field, you might catch yourself thinking:

How did they get to where they are? I’ll never get as many views as Bike Lanes…

But remember: We don’t know Casey Neistat because of Bike Lanes. We know Bike Lanes because of Casey Neistat.

Without the work ethic and drive to keep making videos, day after day, year after year, Bike Lanes never would have existed.



Still image from one of Casey’s daily vlogs.


Viral videos are remarkable. But to build a fan base, it takes more than being remarkable. A remarkable piece of work may unlock the door to success, but that door will only be pushed open by tenacity and consistency.

Many of Casey’s videos aren’t remarkable. They are glimpses into his day — and as you would expect from a daily vlogger, some days are more interesting than others. But they are the work of an extremely gifted filmmaker, and so they are consistently interesting.

Besides, through daily uploads, I now feel that I “know” Casey and the other characters in his life. This is the power of consistent content, a power that can never be reached through a single viral video.

We can’t decide to be remarkable. We can’t decide to go viral. But we can decide to follow a simple philosophy that might eventually lead to both:

Just keep uploading.
 

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You should credit the person who gave him that advice. It was Roman Atwood who said: "Just keep uploading."
 
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xiplays

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Consistency in uploading is so true. I'm only a tiny channel that started in the last month, after consistent uploads I managed to maintain 40-50 views a day and rising. Then a bunch of Uni assignments hit me in the face and I haven't done much uploading in the last couple of weeks so it's dropped to around 15-20 daily views haha. That's over now though so I plan to 'just keep uploading' again.
 

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Great article. You should put it on Medium (if you haven't already).

A little quote from Casey's article about getting companies to pay you to travel/make videos for them.

"I have made 86 videos for my YouTube channel in the last couple of years. 8 of them were for clients, 78 of them were for me. My focus is and always has been on making the work I care about. It is an honor to have found a way to get paid to create work like this, something I value greatly. There are no shortcuts. No one is going to pay for your vacation, no one cares, no one gives a s**t and they never will. If you want something, anything, do the work and earn it."
 

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Great article. You should put it on Medium (if you haven't already).
Thanks Nathaniel, I appreciate it man. The article is actually on Medium, but I think yttalk discourages off-site links as I couldn't link to it. If anyone's into it though you can find my medium account @danvineberg :cool:[DOUBLEPOST=1464267847,1464267777][/DOUBLEPOST]
You should credit the person who gave him that advice. It was Roman Atwood who said: "Just keep uploading."
Right you are! My bad
 
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If I could add to his advice, I would say
"Keep uploading AND keep improving"
After a year on YouTube, my product has changed dramatically. I've learned not to sweat the growth because I know deep down that my videos aren't yet the best they can be.
But one day they will be; and that's when I'll take a good hard look at whether what I'm doing is worth it or not.
In the meantime, writing, lighting, sound, music, pacing, animation - there's just always more to improve on.
Casey is a beast, and I wish I could be as prolific of an uploader as he is. It's incredible.
 

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If I could add to his advice, I would say
"Keep uploading AND keep improving"
I like to think that if you take pride in your work, the act of uploading will naturally lead to the desire to improve. But you're entirely right - whether it's a conscious choice or it comes without realizing it, the need to improve and to evolve is a crucial part of the process.

On another note, I just watched your video "A Short History of Islam" and was really impressed. Keep making videos like that and you're definitely on the road to success!
 

LadyAiluro

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Something so seemingly small can give you a big boost when you need it most.
 
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I like to think that if you take pride in your work, the act of uploading will naturally lead to the desire to improve. But you're entirely right - whether it's a conscious choice or it comes without realizing it, the need to improve and to evolve is a crucial part of the process.

On another note, I just watched your video "A Short History of Islam" and was really impressed. Keep making videos like that and you're definitely on the road to success!
I've seen a lot of people who don't have that improvement attitude. but yes, I agree with your point about valuing ones own work.

Thanks for the compliment on my video. The channel will definitely head in that direction for the foreseeable future.

Enjoy your travels!
 
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