My very first video on YouTube was all about why I wanted to start a channel in the first place, and I’m going to go over them in this blog post. In case you prefer to watch a video version of this blog post, here’s the video:
Now, I tried to look this up for other YouTubers to see why
they got started too. Did they do it because they were dared to, or because
they had a strong desire to do it? Did they know what they wanted to do, or did
they have no clue what they wanted to do? And were they any good? Was it bad? I
have no idea, because the thing is, no matter how hard I tried to find it, I
didn't find a single video that told me why everybody else got started. All I
ever found was, "Why YOU should start a YouTube channel in
[insert year here]." If you do manage to find one though, leave a
comment below so I can find that video and watch it myself. Either way, I made
a video going over the 7 reasons why I started my channel and even showed an
outfit of the day speed paint I painted about a year and a half ago before
filming my first video. Alright, let's DO this!
1. Share art and life tips and experiences
Now I first see this channel as mainly an art channel but I
want to sprinkle in some life tips as well. So it'll mostly be about tutorials,
especially for digital art, as well as showing you how I draw or some unboxing
videos, etc. I also want to include things like diy gifs you can make for
anyone, self-care tips, or even some simple financial tips (because artists
deal with finances, just like everyone else).
2. Hardly any channels with Latinx artists exists
Now this is self-explanatory, but I've only come across a
handful of art-related Latinx channels. I tried searching for a while and
really there was enough to count maybe on both hands but that's about it. And
if there are more, they didn't mention that they were Latinx anywhere in their
profiles or in their videos. If you know of any, please leave a comment below
so I can find those channels. This is important to me because I'm Latinx
myself. I'm Afro-Latina, specifically Dominican, and I have not found an art
channel with a Dominican artist on YouTube. So, if there aren't any, I'm glad
to be the first one.
3. Showcase my personality to future employers
Who hates interviews? Anybody? I'm raising both of my hands,
because I'm just not very good at them. I’ve gotten better, but I could use
some work. Interviews are especially difficult for someone like me who is an
introvert. The main reason for interviews is to showcase your personality anyway,
right? So, they can see what you're like and make sure that you’ll work well
with their employees. I figured any job that I applied to could see this
channel and get a sense of what I'm like before they meet me, because let's
face it, it's hard to get to that interview step nowadays. You're pretty much
just filling out applications all the time and then getting ghosted in return.
At least with my channel existing, I can be more than just a resume or a
portfolio; It can help me stand out from all the other applicants.
4. To get more exposure for my art
This kind of relates to the last reason I said, in terms of
showcasing myself and everything, but I want to put my art out there as much as
I can. Social media has made it a lot easier for me to share my art, especially
since back in the day you only really had DeviantArt to do that (anyone
remember those days?). YouTube will help me to stand out for the sake of my
art. With Instagram for example, any video that you post is usually no more
than a minute long (or at least that was the case when I made my first
YouTube video) unless you do IG TV (which doesn’t even exist anymore). I want
to be able to show a little more of the process of how I make my art and not
just the finished product. With YouTube, I can show you a longer format
video.
5. To understand more aspects of the entertainment industry
The fifth reason why I started this channel is to understand
more aspects of the entertainment industry. Now I didn't mention this before,
but my goal is to break into the animation industry as a character designer. * My animation
skill is mostly in the design aspect and not so much in any other one. Making YouTube
videos gives me a chance to learn about the other aspects, such as
filming or editing, lighting, etc. Gaining more knowledge and skills in other
parts of it can make me a stronger designer too.
6. Monetization / Side Hustle
The sixth reason for starting this channel is for
monetization / as a side hustle. Okay, now I'd be lying if I said that this
wasn't a factor. The way things are now, especially since the pandemic,
there's really no such thing as job security anymore. You could lose your
job for any reason nowadays. Having something like a YouTube channel could be
another income revenue stream i.e. another way for me to make some money, so I'm
not screwed over if I were to lose my main source of income. I do want to put
out this disclaimer though: I'm not really looking to become an
influencer. I know it's weird; most people who are on YouTube have an
ultimate goal to be an influencer, but that's not really where I'm trying to
go. I'm not interested in things like "getting rich quick" or
"short cuts" or "free stuff." Although, if you or someone
you know wants to give me free stuff, I'm not turning it down, but still.
That's not what I'm trying to do with this channel. I really just want to have
other ways of making money, especially if they're passive.
7. To see if I’d even like running a YouTube channel
And the seventh reason why I started this channel is to see
if I'd even like running a YouTube channel. There's really no way of knowing if
I would like it or not without actually trying it, so this video is me trying.
I might love it or hate it; I may be indifferent; who knows? Time will tell.
But it's something I've been wanting to try for years, and I've been putting it
off. Let’s see how it goes.
~ - - - - - ~ - - - - - ~ - - - - - ~
Have you ever tried running a channel or are you still
running one right now? How did it go? Leave a comment below and tell me all
about it---The good, the bad, and the ugly. You made it to the end of the
list, yay! Those are all the reasons why I started. If you watched the video
and enjoyed it, please give it a like and subscribe to my channel. It’s free, I
promise!
~😊 Thankya very mucho! 😊~
* Spoiler alert: My career goal shifted a year after posting
this Youtube video, for multiple reasons. If you’d like to know why I decided to
no longer pursue a career as a character designer, check out my next blog post
to find out.
0 comments:
Post a Comment