Just under a year ago, I decided that I wanted to start vlogging.
And while I am not a daily vlogger, the past 10 months have been consumed with recording my life fairly consistently.
The whole experience so far has come with ups and downs and adventures and learning curves.
All that to say, it's been loads of trial and error.
And we have two more months until my one year anniversary since uploading my first ever episode of a vlog and when everything really started to change, honestly.
So, whether you are here for the journey or curious about the process, today I want to talk about three lessons that I've learned over the course of the last 10 months, or 304 days, of vlogging.
So far, because we're not done yet.
Done is better than perfect.
When I first started making vlogs, I quickly realized the importance of picking up the pace and making things fast.
I had to change my mindset and my approach to creating.
I think I've suffered from perfectionism in the past and it has prevented me from putting more things out there.
But I've learned that done is way better than perfect, and done feels better than hanging on to something for way too long.
Because trust me, there's always going to be things to add on and to change.
And so it's better to just know when a video is done and when to finish something.
Prior to this, I would spend so long working on a singular project.
And by the time that it was out in the world, I was completely over it and it wouldn't be relevant in my life anymore.
So this time around, my mindset was If I was a painter, I would practice on smaller canvases rather than painting something like the Sistine Chapel.
That's what we're going for.
Different approaches, different final products, different learning priorities.
All very necessary.
For me, just having a continuous cycle of working on something new and being excited about it and being able to move on faster has sort of been this antidote to perfectionism.
And it has really helped me embrace a more looser creative process.
There's definitely a time and place for things to be perfected and to be very meticulous, but this is not really one of them.
It's more of a learning experience for me.
It's also been a way for me to decide what I'm trying to prioritize at the moment.
Am I making portfolio pieces or am I just trying to practice?
And from this I just want more of a place to explore versus like, I know everything and now I'm trying to make the masterpiece of my life.
But that could change depending on where you're at.
Different processes for different seasons.
Experimentation is key.
You never really know what will resonate unless you're willing to do something different.
I'm always trying to be open to experimenting, whether that's how I film the topics that I want to talk about, or refining my process behind the scenes.
One part of the process that I really enjoy doing and that I've been doing for a while actually, even before I started to vlog is make storyboards.
Honestly, my storyboards kind of look like I'm the only one who can decipher what's going on in there, but They help a lot.
This is something that I cannot go without now.
Even if it's just a little squiggle.
Without experimenting, we tend to stay at this very comfortable level.
But the moment we stop pursuing beyond that is when things start to feel stuck or redundant.
There's always going to be some level of risk involved when it comes to experimenting.
The best is the name of the game.
Whether something didn't go the way we expected or we have to scrap something altogether.
But even then, it allows us to be more engaged with whatever we're working on.
And even if there are failed experiments and, trust me, there will be a lot you just successfully figured out what doesn't work, which is equally as valuable.
There has been times over the past 10 months where I've either ran out of time, things were not meshing together and I would have to go through the very painful process of scrapping an idea, but it allows me to move on, which is the more important thing.
And nothing is ever really, you know, tossed in the bin.
I think you could always revisit ideas or make them part of a bigger project later on.
I've come to learn this is always going to be an evolving process, but that is a good thing, because it means that your work is growing too.
So far, I'm coming to see what I naturally gravitate towards and finding my style with every vlog that I make.
A big part of that happens in the edit and especially with music.
And that is where Epidemic Sound comes in.
And a big thank you to them for sponsoring today's video.
Epidemic Sound is a music licensing platform with a whole catalog of sound effects and music.
This is where I love finding the soundtrack to my videos, and I even have a little playlist on there, just in case you were interested.
I just search up the kind of mood or specific genre that I have in mind download, drop it in my timeline and go from there.
And the best part?
I don't have to worry about copyright when I use their subscription.
Music is where it all comes alive for me.
It sets a tone and influences a big part of the final product.
If you want to take a chance on yourself and level up your videos, then I highly recommend Epidemic Sound for all your music and sound effect needs.
And when you use the link in my description, you can get a free 7-day trial.
So thank you to Epidemic Sound.
Lean into what you like.
A personal journey for me in my 20s and into adulthood is rediscovering who I am and the things I like and really leaning into that.
For a long time, I felt like I needed to be something else in order to be accepted.
And as I grew up, I realized that is completely not true.
And similarly, when you start making videos, you think that you need to make things like everybody else in order to be successful.
Actually, the secret sauce is everything that makes you unique.
Your style, your interests.
The movies you like, the music you listen to.
The way you dress, the way you decorate your room, your influences, your worldview.
Everything that is an amalgamation of you, that is what you lean into.
And ironically, that is the first thing we turn off.
And the journey is about getting back there.
I wouldn't say my videos are the traditional definition of vlogs by any means, but I wanted to see what my version of that could be.
I often think of them as this hybrid sort of thing, but I combine it with the writing and the visuals of filmmaking, because that's what I know and what I like.
I'm coming to accept that everything feels like a work in progress.
But the only way to exponentially improve is if you keep doing it.
And if you're not enjoying it, then you might be taking things a little too seriously.
Anyways, it has been an incredible year so far and it is not over yet.
Let's finish off strong.
And if you like this video, please consider subscribing.
I really can't believe we are like over half a million subscribers.
This is, it's literally insane.
So thank you for being here.
Thank you for being along for the journey.
And as always, thank you so much for watching and I'll see you in the next one.
