To Vlog or Not to Vlog

As I mentioned in my last blog I am currently going through a YouTube phase. A good portion of my free time over the past few days has been spent watching videos from different users. Needless to say it has inspired me. I like the idea of expressing yourself through video.

But for me it isn't as easy as just being inspired. Regardless of my creative interests I have to consider what my actual abilities will allow. I enjoy expressing myself and this blog is a direct result of that. But it does not come easy to me like it does to so many others. I am not of the artistic breed. But this could also be used as a legitimate reason to start Vlogging(video blogging). Many times I find it difficult putting words on the screen which reflect how I'm feeling. Granted I would still have to come up with something to say, but perhaps the pressure of being on camera would spur on my creative juices. Perhaps I could eventually find the experience to be very freeing. This is what I am unsure about.

At some point it seems that creating videos for YouTube is definitely an ego thing. For a lot of people it probably is and I don't want that impression for myself. I have little self esteem let alone an ego to stroke. I certainly wouldn't expect large numbers of people to watch my ugly mug in videos on a regular basis. In fact I wouldn't be surprised if I ended up with no views at all. Of course I would hope that people would watch and enjoy them on some level but I would be happy if I was the only one to view them. Just to have my thoughts documented would make me happy.

If I do decide to start vlogging on YouTube the question then becomes what will I talk about? I have long wanted to express my opinions on movies to the masses. Yet I lack the writing skills to ever become a legitimate film critic. I have wanted to create a website that would look at films in a different way, based more on pre-film hype and if they live up to it. This could be a chance to pursue that in some respect.

Of course this all could be for naught. I could lose interest fairly soon into the process or I could simply be unhappy with the results. There is a high chance of that happening considering I rarely even enjoy having my picture taken. I am curious what other people feel about this form of expression. Is it a waste of time for someone my age?




On another topic, a perfect storm of no rain and high pollen count has resulted in my allergies wreaking havoc day and night. They really only became a problem a year or so ago. I started back on my Allegra regimen last week but I am still feeling the effects of the pollen in the air. It makes me wish for the ability to hibernate through summer.

Youtubin' Into My Heart

Most people know about my obsession with accents. Perhaps obsession is too strong a word for it. But I love accents nevertheless. My favorite is British, of course. It has long been a dream of mine that the woman I marry will have a British accent. Then I can spend every day with her just listening and enjoying every word she says. It would even make fights entertaining for me.

I'm not sure where this interest of mine came from. I didn't have a British nanny as a child. Now I gush every time I hear one. In college I used to purposely sit next to the British kids in the cafeteria. Nothing goes with dinner better than eavesdropping on some Brits talking. To be fair those are not the only accents I enjoy. I also love Canadian, southern American and Australian plus the French and Indian when they speak English.

You are probably wondering at this point, "What the hell does this have to do with YouTube?" Every once in a while I go on a YouTube bender where I can't get enough of it. I spend entirely too much time watching people's random videos. By chance yesterday I stumbled onto one that completely captivated me. I've only partially delved into her deep catalogue of vlogs, but I am hooked. In case you hadn't guessed she is British. Most of her videos really aren't anything ground breaking, however I can't help but watch them all. They consist of everything from reading a short story she loves to having a staring contest in response to another video.

Yes it may seem childish and I suppose in many respects it is. But at this point in my life I've decided to just embrace the things that make me smile, as they are few and far between. So far I have smiled during every one of her videos. So I thought I would post a couple I thoroughly enjoyed. The first one should be pretty self explanatory for why I love it.







The second video is about how to eat chips (or for us Americans, fries). And I definitely agree with her strategy as simple as it seems.





So that is currently what I am doing with my free time. Meanwhile my Netflix queue remains neglected. I really need to start cranking some out. But dammit if it doesn't always happen that you are in a light, comedic mood for a few weeks but you get mostly dramas in the mail. And I don't like to adjust my queue too much other than adding new things now and then.


Ignorance Edit: So as I have now watched most of Paperlilies' videos, I realize that she has quite a huge following and is a genuine YouTube star. As usual I'm one of the last people to discover these types of things. But I won't let that put a halt to my current infatuation. She is still a treat to watch despite the fact that I'm one of over 15,000 subscribers to her channel.