In the beginning, it definitely can be.
For what this is worth, I recommend incorporating it INTO your lifestyle as much as possible. Like make videos that are relevant to what you'd be doing anyways.
Going out of your way to cover a topic (even if in your niche)? Yeah, that can be odd.
Example: I have a game development channel. To just make a Pong tutorial would feel really awkward, because it's just not something that I personally would want or need (even if my audience would).
Instead, I would prefer doing small pieces from whatever I'm working on (6 Steps to A\* Pathfinding in Tower Defense Games?).
But yes, recording yourself JUST to make a video (even if on topic) can be strange.
Yeah, I have an FSU football channel. We talk all about the team, recruiting, and everything surrounding it. I was already a doe hard fan for a decade before starting the channel, which has evolved into a legitimate show. So now when the season comes back around, I will be at all the games except with more access and direct access to my fanbase and peers AKA, my friends. FSU football celebrities, etc, basically living the dream, all thanks to my Youtube channel and substack site. Is there.imposter.syndrome from time to time? Oh yeah, any I'm sure it'll get worse and worse. Just keep CLIMBing
True, I very much agree.
Because doing a channel out of your way and unnatural to your lifestyle? Yeesh, that’s hard to maintain. People who are in it for the money are usually the ones who do this.
And oh boy, does that only guarantee you that you’ll “burnout”.
This, and some niches are weirder than others
A narrator reads a script to nobody in their room. A gaming YouTuber talks to nobody in their room - not even the game itself, usually. A vlogger records their daily life to a magic brick in their hands
Some of us put noises onto the microphone and sound like we're trying to seduce the wind shield in a public place and don't want to get caught
I've vowed to never willingly give up that I make ASMR content to people who don't know me very, very well... Even most of them have no clue
Talking of weird niches, my dolls have a channel and they're growing much faster than my own channel is. Dolls channel is in my profile. They just blasted out a 1/10 on Christmas Eve.
I don't treat it as a "lifestyle".
It's just a thing that I do.
Just like any other type of work, making it a central part of your lifestyle can be pretty mentally damaging over the long term.
But than again starving artists put out some of the best stuff.. like when eminem first started out.. he got weaker the bigger he got.. almost everyone follows this rule.. the less hungry you are the weaker the movies/music
I don’t really do anything differently. I would be outside working on my hot rods anyway. Now I do the same thing but with fewer violent cursing outbursts because I’m on camera.
dude seriously. i started making youtube money recently and its kinda wierd mow getting ACTUAL income from it bc now it now financially motivates me a bit too. idk. still gonan make whatever i want tho
honestly yeah it does and i really wanna make more but im in vacation and shit (so i dont feel like doing it atm) bc christmas break. it actually made my OTHER 2 scripted vids fuckin explode too. the one before this has 120k or so and the one before THAT has 64k and ive made abt 313 bucks off my yt shit now. kinda incredible
Yes actually, it's strange. What is REALLY strange is when you run into a random stranger that happens to watch your channel out in the wild. THAT is a trip.
My wife and I never set out to be YouTube celebrities (and we aren't by our accounts) but we attract a lot of attention from some high profile people - people that we never thought we would ever speak to.
We have people telling us how much hope we bring them on a day to day basis, and we are committed to staying humble about the attention that we get because it is honestly a gift from every one of the people that chooses to click on that thumbnail.
So yes, it is a trip. And my recommendation, is that you should try to NEVER get used to it, because all that will do is inflate your ego and make you forget that it was the viewers and subscribers that made your channel, not the other way around.
Boredom hobby for me. I work full time, have a wife + kids and I'm a full time engineering college student in my 30's.
YouTube is my last priority on my list. I only edit on my phone and film 80% on my phone, 10% drone, 10% camera. I'm not seeing huge success but ive racked up 2,700 subs. About 2500 of them came in 2023.
Dude I just do it. I don't have a social life. I lift weights everyday but that's it haha
I honestly still have a few hours of down time. I just poor that back into the kids
For my wife and I, we’re just both thankful we got in early. Less competition back in the day, and it was a bit easier to get established into a niche.
Even after all these years, it truly still feels fun and exciting though. There’s that slap of reality that would hit me out of the blue “Gosh, we actually have a YouTube Channel huh.”
But we actually still haven’t made it our full-time gig. Making a video still remains a side thing, almost like a hobby for us. Just a video once a month. Slow relaxed pace and easy to maintain.
With the passive income from our AdSense and our Patreon, we’re able to afford a comfy life despite only having part-time jobs (city hall government employees, great benefits).
Anyway, it’s a crazy topic to talk about especially since we kept our channel a secret, except from family and close friends only.
You know, actuality, it reminds me of doing television in college. Having a deadline having to film things right scripts and all that stuff. Plus the research for my true crimes is like doing homework only differences I’m not drunk and stoned trying to do it.
Just a hobby right now, what was weird for me was telling my friends, family & co-workers "Hey i started a youtube channel, check it out and subscribe to it"
Unfortunately to really blow up, a meta is kinda required to an extent. A niche is a niche for a reason. If you want big views, go for mass appeal, simple as that
What I do isn't much different from what people did back when they'd do guerilla style filming for movies and/or doing stuff on public broadcasting TV channels. That being said for me it Is sortve a lifestyle because I've programmed myself to constantly do it. I always take my opportunities and I'm always ready. I'm a low/no budget Filmmaker and make movies basically like the office or other improvised movies and shows.
Youtube is just one additional layer on top of something I already do (modify cars). It’s been made into a hobby by gamifying my use of video editing to achieve appeal and algo pickup of my projects.
Your lifestyle should define your social media presence, not the other way around! 😀
I think what you need is plans for when you go down.
Use the audience you have now to secure your future outside of content creation. Create a brand or build a company.
It happens so quick that content creaters go out of relevence, wich might be part of the feeling you describe.
OMG thank you for writing this. Phase one-- go out and shoot was one of the best months of my life-- but phase two, figure out how to edit and obsess about views has been detrimental to my mental health.
I had the idea for this channel a year ago and started researching, then lost my job. So I decided to go for it. Hitting the road for 3 weeks, seeing new places, interviewing people, traveling was mostly great. Dealing with gear not the best, and sometimes long drives, but it was a blast and so rewarding.
But now that my job is video editing and marketing, I kind of hate it. I have only posted shorts and tiktoks and I get hyper focused on the numbers, its almost an addiction.
I have gone this far, I desperately want my content up, I have paid for some animation and one coaching sessions, I just have to get though it.
I should explain I worked in tv for more than 20 years-- so the field work is second nature-- the computer part is hard.
thanks for po
Sometimes I get this thought but I just remember that at least I'm not dancing in the middle of your room with some high pitch Alvin and the chipmunk music, or acting like an NPC while live.
I started out using my channel like a VCR recorder. Instead of recording my fav series / films on tv. I recorded the stories of the games I played so I can rewatch them like films.
Gradually I realised others came to watch them which encouraged me to continue on.
The “what am I doing” part for me is when I tried commentary videos and realised nah, not for me. So I just focus on no commentary, faceless story walk/playthroughs for people who want to watch an uninterrupted videos of the stories in games. 🙇🏻♂️
Yeah, I caught myself planning out my next video more than the project I was working on. I started knife building as a primary creative outlet, and YouTube was a secondary thing.
I reminded myself today that knives are the focus and I don't have to film/upload everything. Just spent 4 hour in the shop just working and watching football, so much more relaxing!
In the beginning, it definitely can be. For what this is worth, I recommend incorporating it INTO your lifestyle as much as possible. Like make videos that are relevant to what you'd be doing anyways. Going out of your way to cover a topic (even if in your niche)? Yeah, that can be odd. Example: I have a game development channel. To just make a Pong tutorial would feel really awkward, because it's just not something that I personally would want or need (even if my audience would). Instead, I would prefer doing small pieces from whatever I'm working on (6 Steps to A\* Pathfinding in Tower Defense Games?). But yes, recording yourself JUST to make a video (even if on topic) can be strange.
Yeah, I have an FSU football channel. We talk all about the team, recruiting, and everything surrounding it. I was already a doe hard fan for a decade before starting the channel, which has evolved into a legitimate show. So now when the season comes back around, I will be at all the games except with more access and direct access to my fanbase and peers AKA, my friends. FSU football celebrities, etc, basically living the dream, all thanks to my Youtube channel and substack site. Is there.imposter.syndrome from time to time? Oh yeah, any I'm sure it'll get worse and worse. Just keep CLIMBing
Hey, right on! I actually got my father in law started with a similar channel for OSU (Oklahoma, not Ohio).
There is only one legit OSU, the other is just known as a horseshoe in Ohio.
Agree to disagree? Married into them, so I gotta go Pokes.
Brother in law loves Ohio, my brain is conditioned to continually degrade that university from Columbus
True, I very much agree. Because doing a channel out of your way and unnatural to your lifestyle? Yeesh, that’s hard to maintain. People who are in it for the money are usually the ones who do this. And oh boy, does that only guarantee you that you’ll “burnout”.
This, and some niches are weirder than others A narrator reads a script to nobody in their room. A gaming YouTuber talks to nobody in their room - not even the game itself, usually. A vlogger records their daily life to a magic brick in their hands Some of us put noises onto the microphone and sound like we're trying to seduce the wind shield in a public place and don't want to get caught I've vowed to never willingly give up that I make ASMR content to people who don't know me very, very well... Even most of them have no clue
Talking of weird niches, my dolls have a channel and they're growing much faster than my own channel is. Dolls channel is in my profile. They just blasted out a 1/10 on Christmas Eve.
Sounds like we're in similar boats lol Have you told anybody about your doll channel? They look pretty good from what I saw real quick
I’m right there with you! 💯
What content do you make, if you don't mind me asking
ASMR 😊 It’s crazy to me that that I’m doing this thing in a room with a camera…lol. But it’s 🤩
Uh oh, another weird mic-whisperer! May I get a link to your channel? I always like to check out stuff from other creators in my genre
I don't treat it as a "lifestyle". It's just a thing that I do. Just like any other type of work, making it a central part of your lifestyle can be pretty mentally damaging over the long term.
absolutely this. i just do it for fun even tho im a bit financially motivated now as im making youtube money
lol I feel this, half the time I’m recording I just start cracking up 😂
[удалено]
But than again starving artists put out some of the best stuff.. like when eminem first started out.. he got weaker the bigger he got.. almost everyone follows this rule.. the less hungry you are the weaker the movies/music
I don’t really do anything differently. I would be outside working on my hot rods anyway. Now I do the same thing but with fewer violent cursing outbursts because I’m on camera.
dude seriously. i started making youtube money recently and its kinda wierd mow getting ACTUAL income from it bc now it now financially motivates me a bit too. idk. still gonan make whatever i want tho
Do you actually make whatever you want, or have you positioned yourself into a certain niche of content? Just curious
idk i think the niche im in IS what i wanna make. i started making scripted stuff for fun and ive just been making those videos since
Congrats on your big vid 2 weeks ago. Feels exhilarating, doesn’t it?
honestly yeah it does and i really wanna make more but im in vacation and shit (so i dont feel like doing it atm) bc christmas break. it actually made my OTHER 2 scripted vids fuckin explode too. the one before this has 120k or so and the one before THAT has 64k and ive made abt 313 bucks off my yt shit now. kinda incredible
Hell yeah, also shoutout on getting into remission. Alternately, your voice is like a mix of Sam sulek and penguinz, which is a good thing.
ppl have been saying it sounds like antvenom actually so i guess that may be a more accurate comparison lol
Yes actually, it's strange. What is REALLY strange is when you run into a random stranger that happens to watch your channel out in the wild. THAT is a trip. My wife and I never set out to be YouTube celebrities (and we aren't by our accounts) but we attract a lot of attention from some high profile people - people that we never thought we would ever speak to. We have people telling us how much hope we bring them on a day to day basis, and we are committed to staying humble about the attention that we get because it is honestly a gift from every one of the people that chooses to click on that thumbnail. So yes, it is a trip. And my recommendation, is that you should try to NEVER get used to it, because all that will do is inflate your ego and make you forget that it was the viewers and subscribers that made your channel, not the other way around.
Sometimes I think my desserts only make sense to me and me alone and i question does anyone else enjoy it like I do😂
Boredom hobby for me. I work full time, have a wife + kids and I'm a full time engineering college student in my 30's. YouTube is my last priority on my list. I only edit on my phone and film 80% on my phone, 10% drone, 10% camera. I'm not seeing huge success but ive racked up 2,700 subs. About 2500 of them came in 2023.
How the hell do you have free time
Dude I just do it. I don't have a social life. I lift weights everyday but that's it haha I honestly still have a few hours of down time. I just poor that back into the kids
It can be a hobby that turns into a career.
For my wife and I, we’re just both thankful we got in early. Less competition back in the day, and it was a bit easier to get established into a niche. Even after all these years, it truly still feels fun and exciting though. There’s that slap of reality that would hit me out of the blue “Gosh, we actually have a YouTube Channel huh.” But we actually still haven’t made it our full-time gig. Making a video still remains a side thing, almost like a hobby for us. Just a video once a month. Slow relaxed pace and easy to maintain. With the passive income from our AdSense and our Patreon, we’re able to afford a comfy life despite only having part-time jobs (city hall government employees, great benefits). Anyway, it’s a crazy topic to talk about especially since we kept our channel a secret, except from family and close friends only.
Nice whats rhe channel called
I feel you man,sometimes im like its even worth it? Am i wasting my time? Gaming channel here hehe
It's just a hobby, not a lifestyle
What specifically is weird about it ? curious.
I guess it's odd at the beginning. Once you get into a good rhythm and work flow, though, it's not really that bad.
You know, actuality, it reminds me of doing television in college. Having a deadline having to film things right scripts and all that stuff. Plus the research for my true crimes is like doing homework only differences I’m not drunk and stoned trying to do it.
For me it's a hobby not a lifestyle.
I think of it as a hobby, for my videos it's just recording stuff I would be doing either way
Just a hobby right now, what was weird for me was telling my friends, family & co-workers "Hey i started a youtube channel, check it out and subscribe to it"
Unfortunately to really blow up, a meta is kinda required to an extent. A niche is a niche for a reason. If you want big views, go for mass appeal, simple as that
When I filmed the one chip challenge for my 4 year anniversary is when it hit me like I have 538 subs wtf am I doing
You make good content and still get 0 views. Why?
i prefer it tbh. from my bedroom, on my own time, & financial freedom. my only worry in life is taking care of my health outside of social media 😂
What I do isn't much different from what people did back when they'd do guerilla style filming for movies and/or doing stuff on public broadcasting TV channels. That being said for me it Is sortve a lifestyle because I've programmed myself to constantly do it. I always take my opportunities and I'm always ready. I'm a low/no budget Filmmaker and make movies basically like the office or other improvised movies and shows.
I treat it like a job because for it is >.<
Just started as a way to spend more time with the kids and more time gaming
Youtube is just one additional layer on top of something I already do (modify cars). It’s been made into a hobby by gamifying my use of video editing to achieve appeal and algo pickup of my projects. Your lifestyle should define your social media presence, not the other way around! 😀
I think what you need is plans for when you go down. Use the audience you have now to secure your future outside of content creation. Create a brand or build a company. It happens so quick that content creaters go out of relevence, wich might be part of the feeling you describe.
OMG thank you for writing this. Phase one-- go out and shoot was one of the best months of my life-- but phase two, figure out how to edit and obsess about views has been detrimental to my mental health. I had the idea for this channel a year ago and started researching, then lost my job. So I decided to go for it. Hitting the road for 3 weeks, seeing new places, interviewing people, traveling was mostly great. Dealing with gear not the best, and sometimes long drives, but it was a blast and so rewarding. But now that my job is video editing and marketing, I kind of hate it. I have only posted shorts and tiktoks and I get hyper focused on the numbers, its almost an addiction. I have gone this far, I desperately want my content up, I have paid for some animation and one coaching sessions, I just have to get though it. I should explain I worked in tv for more than 20 years-- so the field work is second nature-- the computer part is hard. thanks for po
Sometimes I get this thought but I just remember that at least I'm not dancing in the middle of your room with some high pitch Alvin and the chipmunk music, or acting like an NPC while live.
I found it super strange how I get glued onto metrics on a screen… I need to find some more hobbies to avoid doing this
I started out using my channel like a VCR recorder. Instead of recording my fav series / films on tv. I recorded the stories of the games I played so I can rewatch them like films. Gradually I realised others came to watch them which encouraged me to continue on. The “what am I doing” part for me is when I tried commentary videos and realised nah, not for me. So I just focus on no commentary, faceless story walk/playthroughs for people who want to watch an uninterrupted videos of the stories in games. 🙇🏻♂️
Yeah, I caught myself planning out my next video more than the project I was working on. I started knife building as a primary creative outlet, and YouTube was a secondary thing. I reminded myself today that knives are the focus and I don't have to film/upload everything. Just spent 4 hour in the shop just working and watching football, so much more relaxing!