Why its important to love what you do.

ChilledAffinity

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I started Youtube in 2007 and since then have had more channels than i care to count.
I literally tried every style of channel from sketch comedy to action films to daily vlogger to parkour to everything.
With each channel it was the same story. id be super keen on this new idea and venture and try it super hard.. there would be some growth. then id either lose interest or some life event would get in the way and id never get back to it.

Over the years i saw this repeat and happen again and again. I then decided id make one last channel and stick to comedy/vlogging ... but like history repeating itself i soon realised this just wasnt me... i didnt enjoy it. and i stopped (which i was told was crazy as the channel had 2k subs, a loyal fan base and a few viral videos that earned me regular money) But i had to be true to myself. so I emailed my partner manager and thanked him for his time (he also tried to convince me just to rebrand) but i knew i was done.

I spent a lot of time away from youtube soul searching.. why couldn't i find happiness in my content??
Then, like a fart in an aeroplane.. it suddenly hit me.

I was doing one of my usual spontaneous trips somewhere and was sat on a train pondering it all. why didnt my art channel work? why didnt my comedy channel work? why didnt my martial art channel work. It was at this point the reason i wasn't happy with any set style is because i didnt love any set style. I dont love art, i dont love comedy or martial arts... i love being a film maker. and while this hit me i also noticed how happy i was just travelling and living life. this was when i realised my channel had to be about what i actually love and i had to be the real me and not someone trying to be funny or cool ect. If i was myself, and making what i love, ill find happiness.

Its been a year since this revelation and my channel started. I turned off subscriber count and do not check my analytics unless theres an unusual spike. and i can honestly say i am the happiest i have ever been.
Now i document the real me. I make movies about things i love and i test my film making skills. I get to produce fantastic content that im proud of not just for me but for people who join me on the channel and more.

Its a year on and every day I can still go back and watch ANY of my videos. i dont find any cringy, i dont hide any from anyone. I LOVE MY CONTENT. and this love for my content has brought me a small but loyal viewer base who seems to enjoy it too. which although is not my goal.. its nice and i am just as excited to continue my channel as i was the day i started. It has made me eager to have consistent uploads and has made me push my skills and life into the direction i want it to go.

What the point of this post is, is to really have a think.. I see a lot of posts and threads here about "not gaining enough subs" or "loosing interest" or "cant find time to make content" ... If you truly love what you do. none of these things matter and you will find the time to push on because its important to you.

If you love what you do, you're doing it right.
 

Mr Danny

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Wow, this was beautiful and so inspiring. Thank you so much for sharing with us and I hope everything keeps goingas well as it is doing now :)
 
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KrakenSoup

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Great read!

Thanks for sharing this, I can relate somewhat to this and I'm glad that you found what works for you and you love what you're doing.

Cheers!
 
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Sabrina

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Whoa, I really needed to hear this, thank you! :thumbsup2: Except for the shorter timeframe, my story is kinda similar. I made comedy sketches for a while, lost interest for several reasons, then tried comedy vlogs, noticed quickly that it's not my thing, and now my plan is to try something completely different: daily vlogging, being myself and talking about mental health stuff, which could be the kiss of death for my channel, but I can't be concerned with that. And if I find out that I don't like it, I'm just gonna try something else. The only constant is my love for video making :)
 

ChilledAffinity

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Wow, this was beautiful and so inspiring. Thank you so much for sharing with us and I hope everything keeps goingas well as it is doing now :)
Thank you so much! i can honestly say its still going just as good as ever and iv got plenty epic videos in the works[DOUBLEPOST=1469452565,1469452501][/DOUBLEPOST]
Great read!

Thanks for sharing this, I can relate somewhat to this and I'm glad that you found what works for you and you love what you're doing.

Cheers!
Ah glad you can relate that way im not just rambling on haha thanks so much i hopeits still going good for you
 

ChilledAffinity

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Whoa, I really needed to hear this, thank you! :thumbsup2: Except for the shorter timeframe, my story is kinda similar. I made comedy sketches for a while, lost interest for several reasons, then tried comedy vlogs, noticed quickly that it's not my thing, and now my plan is to try something completely different: daily vlogging, being myself and talking about mental health stuff, which could be the kiss of death for my channel, but I can't be concerned with that. And if I find out that I don't like it, I'm just gonna try something else. The only constant is my love for video making :)
just do what works for you mdear. make sure you are happy. if your viewers see that you are happy then your content wont matter, your viewers are there for you. the content only matters to you. if you like it, so will your viewers. Stay loose, smile and keep going, you got this
 
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xingcat

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I absolutely adore your channel, for this very reason. You are an excellent filmmaker, for sure, but you're entirely in it, which is something that is rare on a platform that is supposedly about real people doing real things. There is a palpable joy about just making videos that can be difficult to spot in a lot of videos out there, and I really do see that in your channel.

I always say you have to love the work, because sometimes the work is all you'll get. If you want to make easy money, go into sales or widget-making or plumbing, because that's more guaranteed than anything in the arts.

The thing I'm starting to rally against is the idea that we're "content creators." We're not assembly line workers, churning out pieces of eyeball candy for consumers to stare at between ads. We're (hopefully) artists and hosts and musicians and experts and folks trying to say something. Stop chasing after eyeballs, and start putting your dreams on the screen.
 

Crown

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You have to love it for sure and not just the results, but the process. In fact that is what defines a successful channel IMHO - It's not sub count / view count, play buttons and all the rest. If you love the process of making videos and uploading them to Youtube (regardless of the numbers), then you have a successful channel. :up:
 

conceptual23

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You have to love it for sure and not just the results, but the process. In fact that is what defines a successful channel IMHO - It's not sub count / view count, play buttons and all the rest. If you love the process of making videos and uploading them to Youtube (regardless of the numbers), then you have a successful channel. :up:
I posted this exact same thing in another thread replying to a user that was losing hope for his channel. In addition to that, I find it that users will compare their sub count, view count, etc with other channels as a barometer for success. (which should never be done)
 
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Redford1900

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Thanks for sharing your YouTube journey. I'm so glad things are working out for you. I didn't start doing YouTube with the goal of simply having fun with it and I'm one of the many people who do get frustrated over view counts and subs. But then I read your story and watch your beautiful channel trailer and I feel so inspired to try to make better films - films that can make the viewer FEEL. Thank you.