What pushed me to start a YouTube channel, and who? In this video from March 2018 I go back to my childhood video camera and say thank you to the creators who got me making things again.
A passion I put aside
Photography and video have been my passion since I was a child. I remember my mother giving me a video camera when I was 10, and I fell in love with that world. But when I came back from uni I had to put it aside, find a "real" job and start being a man. It became a hobby, and then not even that.
Now I have two kids, a regular job and life is okay. Then, last summer, I started feeling inspired again. I decided to go back to my original passion. I love it because it makes me feel good and because I can express myself without anybody giving me directions. To start again I had to upgrade my gear, which was out of date, so I bought bits and pieces here and there and ended up with really good equipment.
Casey and Peter
I don't love the word "inspiration". I prefer motivation, and two people gave me most of it. Casey Neistat is the best storyteller I've ever seen on the platform. He can make even a boring activity impossible to stop watching. Peter McKinnon is the cinematographer, the master of perfection, the king of the B-roll. I'm learning so many shooting and editing techniques from him. Both are living proof that hard work will reward you sooner or later.
Jeremy and Matti
There are many others. Jeremy Wright didn't have many subscribers, but I love his ironic style. His videos are sometimes about nothing, yet very funny, and making people laugh is one of the hardest jobs on YouTube. Then there's Matti Haapoja, a great cinematographer and one of Peter's best friends. They shoot a lot together, and I think they're both learning from each other.
YouTube is full of creators who can motivate you. These are the ones who worked for me. As Peter says at the end of the video, you don't need an interesting life to vlog, because you are the story.