So I prefer this right now, writing. I’m sitting in my office at 8am typing this up. Got some music playing in my ears and in the zone.
Video blogging is a whole new art form. I like it, but it has already changed my thinking and mindset in just a couple of days recording.
So I’ll go “back to my roots” of text blogging today – the good old fashioned way I’m comfortable with.
Yet, there is a good affirmation I read daily
A comfort zone is a comfort pit
So let’s not do things just because they make us comfortable.
Get Ton of Attention – More Than The Only White Guy in a Chinese Village!
There was some getting used to being a white guy in China. Nowadays we’re not as rare, yet still if you go to a smaller city in China you’ll get a lot of looks being a foreigner, especially a “white guy”. That took some getting used to for me. Some people love the attention, others can’t stand it. I’ve heard both the arguments. I guess I have to say I like the attention, but it gets old after a while.
Now, taking a video camera out in public and recording people – that is a whole other level of getting attention. Especially on my third day of recording when Im in the crowded streets of Hong Kong.
My heart kind of skips a beat, but I keep pressing forward, walking down the narrow and crowded streets. Getting people looking and pointing, I still go forward.
Jeez, this is more nerve racking for me than speaking at a conference! At a conference, at least the people are there to listen here its a mix of people not wanting to be on camera with those who love it!
I’m rattled, still, a day later from some of the encounters. Some have asked me to delete them off the video. Others have stared and followed me around a bit. Others have seen a chance to advertise their business (especially those street hustlers outside of Chong King Mansion).
As I said earlier, this quote I like a lot – a comfort zone is a comfort pit – so I will press forward.
Its Awesome Conversation Starter
Walking into a room with a camera recording video is a great conversation starter. Well, depends on who is in the room! Some hate it, while most people kind of go with it. Yet it changes the dynamic of the room and the conversation. Some just won’t speak as open and free when the camera is recording.
So don’t advice to use it during business meetings. Like Casey Neistat – the youtuber who motivated me to start this – say – he picks 1 theme per vlog and uses that as the center of the recording. He doesn’t put his personal life or business life too much in it. Yet I’ve watched his shows and he does have his wife, kids, and business setting in a bunch of it. And some meetings he’s popped the camera on. I think it is impossible for a video blogger not to have some of their “real life” in the videos. At least to keep it interesting.
So I keep the camera on me throughout the day. Maybe there will be a chance to record something or someone. And I love it as a conversation starter – plus seems to get people to watch Youtube videos is more of a word of mouth thing. People will ask me what my channel is, and then they’ll watch it, and things will get interesting and I’ll get real time feedback.
I met an Elvis impersonator in Soho district of Hong Kong last night. Was awesome. And I said, hey I have a video blog, can I record you – and he did a song right there on the spot! Can’t wait to share this online!
Will Keep Pushing Forward -Video Editing Is a Big Time Sucker Though!
So I am enjoying video blogging. But it is a different creative part of your mind than writing. Writing daily, 2,000 words now, has been a challenge. It has also made me more introverted – though I am a bit introverted already, writing has made me more inward facing.
Now video is like the total opposite – it is EXTROVERT times 10! Like being in a public speaking marathon all day! On the streets, in the subway, in taxis, in bars and restaurants – being the “center of attention”. I am overwhelmed, but maybe this is healthy to get out of my element and push it.
Then there are those who consume this content. I’ve had friends that tell me they don’t have time to read and just watch video. And then there are others who say they prefer reading the text, as they can skim and pick which parts they want.
I know some of you will say “pick 1 and focus”. But I like it all. I was going to see how much it would take to do a daily video blog, but editing takes me 2 hours each video! My eyes strained and it was 11:30pm yesterday. Then there’s uploading the video, etc etc.
I still wake up at 5:30am – so I’m getting like 5 to 6 hours of sleep a night. Maybe some can do that, but I was burning out in the day. Headaches and lack of focus. So I gotta still try to get to bed by 10:30 – 11pm so that I can get a 7 hour night.
Hope people enjoy the future video blogs! What do you think, would love some good old fashioned blog comments here!