Intro
All best intentions went by the wayside in the last few weeks when commerce crushed art and grinding out to living at Tesco won. However now after Christmas, I have some free time to think about and launch out on project Jelly Bean as it’s known. At the time of writing this blog post, I will have started, actually more accurately, restarted my YouTube channel for ArtByCutting.
A Stream of Ones and Zeros
To give a little prior context I started the channel as a bookmark for a potential experiment into the world of 3D animation. I started out with my very primitive line art animations, created in Procreate Pocket version on my phone. Very quickly I realised I neither had the talent nor the temperament. So mothballed that idea. Then I swiftly moved on to the idea of documenting my day in a thirty-second bite. I couldn’t quite bring myself to use Shorts as I thought they were just not for me. appreciating more long-form and slow TV ideas than and attention sapping bursts. But I am getting on a hobby horse now 🙂 Then time went by, lots of time. Then we reach the current time.
I thought about the relaunch. Going through many iterations of imposter syndrome, doubt, and full-on denial. However, the reason for starting the channel was to show my journey into learning the art of arting, as I like to call it. I don’t profess to be any kind of expert or even woe be tide a teacher of anything But I can document a journey. I suppose after a certain amount of time, one becomes qualified to hold these roles, but for me, I just want to enjoy my journey and share it with “you” the viewer.
I know there has been a spate of prominent YouTubers quit recently and I have watched a number of their farewell videos. I can understand that after ten or more years, one might like a break. One particular channel came up with a very reasoned way of progressing. And ultimately how I would view and channel progress. It’s all too easy to get sucked into the Youtube game. If one steps back for a minute and thinks about the actual videos that one wants to create would be much closer to his model of operation.
What has this got to do with setting up my channel? Well, not a lot, and everything. I don’t intend for this to become my full-time job. More of a display or window into my efforts to create things that bring me joy, and hopefully others. So the output will most likely be disjointed and somewhat sporadic. Yes, I have been a viewer and consumer long enough to have amassed considerable hours of “how-to” content. And it has led me to the conclusion that although they do help with growing channels it is a bit of a self-filling prophesy. In order for their growth, they have to gain followers. Now I’m not disparaging them as I have learnt a lot and probably wouldn’t be starting a channel if it was not for information gleaned from them.
But I am going to go at my pace and I know that will probably affect its viability but we’ll see how it pans out over the course of time. As the one thing I know this is not a get-rich-quick scheme. More akin to overnight success taking a decade. But here I am about to embark on a journey, destination unknown. Well kind of unknown as I know what and how I’m going to get there. But I’m pretty sure that the saying “no plan encountering the enemy” will apply here.
In the later part of one’s life. I hope I am still learning and stretching my mind as that is what I am sure is one of the things that assists longevity. And so the path to knowledge starts here.
So there will be definitely a mixture of videos on many different subjects. As I know I cannot keep myself to one thing. Also, this is a depiction of my journey, which I hope future generations of my family may be able to look back on. Although I am aware of the fact that once one gets even two generations away when feels disconnected from these members of the family. But it might illicit a chortle from future generations when they see a distant relative blathering on, as we do now on seeing and hearing the birth of the visual era.
What I have watched, listened to, and come across
I have been on a bit of a bingeathon on YouTube, lots of video podcasts. A lot of this content, I am never going to experience or benefit from, I just like. However, the ones that I have gained from are Cal Newport‘s. I have gained a number of insights that I have felt have adjusted my mind to my current plan. One of which is the stunning fact that 46% of Americans have not read a book this year, well it must be last year as were only twenty days into the year. I was in that bracket but this year I intend to change my percentile. One pieces of advice stuck with me was to read what one is excited to read not what one is expected to read. So I am keeping a visual record as seen below
On the Fun side, I have been watching Tim Ferris’s shows on fast learning something. There are nuggets of info, but it was shot long before his current podcast and has a SoCal tech Bro vibe to it.
Finally, I have really been enjoying the Buzzsprout podcast on my daily walk. I am not thinking about starting one, but enjoy the dynamic of the hosts and the info that’s presented. I do listen to a lot of podcasts for a long time and just love that one can gain so much from them without having to be tied to a screen.
One Picture
Wrap Up
If you have been following along here I would appreciate a look over at my channel and would like to hear thoughts and feedback. I am just getting started. It is going to be a lot of fun, building this into something that I am proud of.
Until the next time…