A few months ago, if you told me that I’d eventually be posting singing videos to YouTube, I wouldn’t have believed you. For years, “starting a YouTube channel” was this bright and shiny idea that I always “planned on doing” but never actually started… until now. For someone who can be as introverted as I am, this has been a huge learning curve. Nevertheless, one month ago, I finally took the leap of faith. Though I’m still a total rookie, jumping head first into this has already taught me so much. So, here’s what I’ve learned so far! Grab your popcorn.
1. You are your own worst critic.
Perfectionism can be your worst enemy. I am no stranger to the critical voice inside my head.
That was a bad take… I should just start over. Am I even a good singer? Nobody is going to watch this. My hair looks weird.
I mean, come on. Is anybody who watches your video really going to notice these things? Probably not! While you’re cringing away at all your little mistakes, a random viewer is probably completely oblivious and solely focused on listening to the song. Making videos has literally forced me to ignore the ‘invisible critic’. If I don’t ignore it, it would take me the entire day to make one single video. This negative voice can slow you down like a Mario Kart banana peel. And nobody likes a Mario Kart banana peel.
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2. Some people just won’t get it and that’s ok.
Don’t get me wrong; 99% of my friends and family have expressed nothing but support, which I am so lucky for. But one day, as soon as I mentioned starting a YouTube channel to someone, I could explicitly see the disapproval written on their face. It seems like our collective idea of “YouTubers” has become synonymous with dangerously-wealthy, immature teenagers living in Los Angeles… which is honestly kind of funny, but mostly unfortunate.
The reason I started a channel was to have a place to direct my musical creativity to, to hopefully develop an audience so my music can reach more people, and to work on my confidence. There may be a few bad apples out there, but the vast majority of creators are simply doing what they enjoy and sharing their talents, which is the whole point! I’m genuinely excited about what I’m sharing, and to me, that outweighs any potential of disapproval.
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3. Coffee.
Sometimes you just need it to function. No questions asked. That is all.
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4. Online hate is not your problem.
It’s human nature to read a stranger’s hateful comment and feel like it’s somewhat of a personal attack. It’s easy for your thoughts to spiral.
What if there’s truth in what they’re saying about me? What if everybody feels the same way?
Just the other day, I was watching a cover video that Ariana Grande posted in 2013 when her career was just beginning. I randomly decided to scroll through the comments section and was shocked. How could one of the most famous, talented singers in the world have so many hateful comments? It doesn’t matter who you are; there will always be people with negative things to say. We might as well ignore them. “Thank u, next” right?
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5. It is so much fun!
I feel like I’m finally doing what I should have started years ago! I’m developing my confidence, spending more time and energy on what makes me the happiest, and falling even more in love with music. As cheesy as it sounds, I can’t wait for what is to come. I have a feeling that this is the beginning of a super fun learning experience that will challenge me to transform into a better, more confident person.
If there is something you’re passionate about and you want to share it, don’t just keep it to yourself! You deserve to show your talents. My advice: Go for it! Do it for your own reasons and don’t look back!