YES, unless your hobby involves performance, like when I do guitar videos. But how to play this song, step by step, is not the same video as a performance.
I disagree, while it does change the process, the "performativity"(??) is not an inherent element of this change, and depends on one's approach, personality and the like. There are people who are simply neither bothered by the camera, nor care about the recording part becoming *the* craft. In fact youtube is still full of these (granted, not particularly successful, but I don't think channel owners care about that!) "I'm just doing my thing" videos, many with next to no editing. Btw as to music this distinction also exists - I grew up attending music school used to be a part-time professional for a while, but I couldn't care less about the performance aspect. I polish the piece as much as I feel satisfied with and... Never do anything with it. I like playing it for myself, sure, but I would never perform it if I didn't have to, and it's rarely performance-ready (but then maybe my history with music school just elevated the bar of "readiness" a bit too high for me, no idea).
There's a lot of tedious elements to it even to a hobbyist - I think most hobbies have that aspect. I'm fairly sure nobody finds an hour long drive to the lumbermill and price negotiations particularly engaging either, to me it's particularly annoying if I'm not planning to sell the piece because damn is that expensive. I do some sewing for myself as well and there's a lot of stuff I find tedious as well especially with leather. The sewing process alone, in fact. Or triple checking whether everything is alright before cutting.
There is so much pressure to monetize our hobbies. People realise this takes it from a hobby to a business, right? I joined Insta to find a sewing community and it's not what I thought it was. I want to talk to people, share experiences, ask for advice and instead it's an occasional like, maybe a "congrats" as a comment. I have no local community and live isolated on a farm and 'finding an online sewing community' has been a huge let down in so many ways. I love what you did with those button up shirts, the plain one looks amazingly comfortable.
I had the same experience with instagram. It's hard to find a genuine community online. Thanks for your comment, and yes the button down shirt is very comfortable!
madeatbentwood, I JUST had this conversation with someone about monetizing hobbies. Once it becomes a business and you are dependent on that income, all of the joy goes out of the hobby. I create for joy and if dollars want to come along, good but money is not my primary objective.
Not into sewing, the algorithm brought me here but you're right. I loved taking photos and making photoshop edits as a hobby to where I built a decent sized following on Instagram. Then due to the demand of more content and reels, I started filming POVs of me taking photos and my editing process just to stay relevant and it just burned me out due to the extra steps. I started to hate my hobby and needed a break. It's been 2 years of just not doing much and I am still trying to get back into my hobby and doing what I once loved but the mental block of burning out again is making me take more caution to see if I should go through that again. It is great you shared your experience to show the drawbacks of the commodification of our hobbies on social media.
Great commentary on the pressure of filming the steps. I feel that way about selling. Many say, "You should sell your stuff." I accepted an order for nine quilts over the summer, and I wound up dreading going into the sewing room. Thanks for sharing your experience!
Yes, and *can you make one of these for me? I don't want to pay you much for it, maybe not even cover the cost of the materials. Why would you want to be paid for doing something you enjoy?* Or even *I'd love one of those for Christmas/my birthday*. I sometimes ask them how much minimum wage is these days, then give them an estimate based on that. They might get offended, I might lose a *friend*, but real friends already know how much time and effort you put into making something. Relatives are a bit more problematic!
I miss the days where there was little to no monetary gain to be had from RUclips. Where "being a youtuber" wasn't about chasing algorithms or making content for the sake of content. I'm really happy to see someone address this, and that you want to make videos because you WANT to, and not because it's something you feel like you SHOULD make it.
You don't have to monetize. But the economy is so bad people are counting on the money that can be made. I'm not sure people can afford "hobbies" anymore. Like the women who took in sewing in the old days. I didn't know that my mom could sew clothes or quilt until I was in my teens. Because her mother set the girls to "doing mending" to help keep their house full of kids afloat. My mother found no joy in sewing. But as an adult, I appreciated her beautiful stitches on our mended clothes. Looked like machine stitches. You don't need youtube to ruin a skill
Nothing wrong with making a little something by doing what one loves-it’s not any different than making an income from being a nurse if one loved nursing.
I'm not. So many people are able to get out of toxic home and job environments because they can support themselves with the thing they love no less. Certainly helped me. Rather have that then nothing.
My #1 hobby is ruining hobbies by turning them into businesses. But, I didn't realize the wisdom this young lady speaks until I was in my 40s. Thank you for spreading this important message!
What you're saying here is so incredibly valuable and I wish for this video to reach more souls. I always drew and I am a professional 3D artist, but if there is anything that I learned from my experience of exposing my drawings to a larger audience, is that it almost disgusted me of drawing altogether. Thankfully I stopped showing my art online and disabled my Instagram account right before the tipping point, but I felt that expectations started to settle in, that some pieces were gathering more likes than others, and ultimately, little by little, it killed the joy that I had, to draw. I started to draw more for an audience than for myself, pushing some styles or themes over some that I enjoyed more, just because I knew that some of these more ''personal'' pieces that spoke to me where reaching almost nobody compared to fanarts and other similar things. The intention behind the act of drawing in itself got completely corrupted in the process, and it took me years to be able to go through the horrendous art block that this created for me. I truly wish this on nobody. Protect your art and your joy of creating at all costs.
I love videos hearing about the creative process. I feel like so many channels are all about the hauls now and that gets tiring. Show us the planning, the dreaming, doodling or sketching. Show us the finish and what worked and what didn't. Maybe make a scrap book or porfolio page while you talk about the project. Most of all, it's just nice to have a chatty human around while working on projects.
And right here...this comment is what ruins a hobby. Instead of letting the creator "create" it becomes armchair quartbacks suggesting this and demanding that and how to make the video Netflix, CBS quality.
I don't know if my computer was listening, but i was just talking to my husband about possibly starting a YT channel and he shook his head no. He’s right, it can kill your enthusiasm for your hobby with stress and pressure. I’d rather create stuff than edit/setup lights/voice over, etc.
For some people, it makes if way more enjoyable to do their craft, and rather than it being a tutorial, it could be a video for you to look back on and to not get many views, like something to see to think of how far you’ve come in skill. As long as you don’t pressure yourself and keep things simple, learning editing and filming can be very fun and could be applied to many different subjects.
So, that's a broad thing to say, starting a RUclips channel. What does that mean exactly? You might have a narrow view of what it is, and there's actually other options for you. Why do you want to start a RUclips channel if you did? Do you want to share with the world? Maybe do a podcast style. It takes you a few hours to do a project, just set a camera up, and have some topics to talk about while you're doing your process, and then just do it like that. And RUclips has a way to edit a video after effect. So if you're feeling froggy, you can go ahead and do it then. If not, then you just have this nice long video that if you ever want to show somebody, hey, I did this. This is my process. And there you go. Cut. Best of luck on whatever you choose to do.
You're right, and the most frustrating this is when you forget to shoot a huge part of the process because you're drawn into it and end up with less content.
Yes, you did shoot it, but something goes wrong, the audio cuts out, the dog is barking or playing with a squeaky toy, or the camera runs out of battery
Not sure why I was recommended this video but I'm so grateful to have found it! Thank you for sharing your experience! I've been considering a YT channel for my crochet and knitting but also have a lot of doubts and hesitation for exactly the same reasons you mentioned. Right now my hobby is my only outlet as a busy mom and having it disturbed or stripped of joy scares me! I'm glad you seem to have found a balance now that you've taken some time off. The Arabic speaking crochet community on RUclips has a tradition of filming hobby/crafts diaries either monthly or bi-monthly or a few times a year where makers talk about and show what they've been working on, recommend patterns, discuss future projects or wishlists etc. I've been introduced to so many new crafts and arts by them and it's always fun to put a video on while working on a project or even doing the dishes!
For most of us sewing is a hobby and not a job, and therefore should be fun - except for the fails, of course! I enjoy RUclips sewing videos so much that I have completely stopped watching "regular" TV and I really appreciate everyone who goes to the trouble of making the videos. It should be at the pace and desire of the video creator - when it's not fun, you are right - why are you doing it? However, I selfishly hope videos continue to be created because I am enjoying them and learning so much! Thank you!
I'm with ya -- love creating, hate editing. I actually don't mind filming my process, just as long as I'm not speaking to the camera and I'm only capturing from one angle.
Once you add a monetary component to anything the fun go out the window! As a student I work in a wine store. Every time I taste something either between friends or family I felt obligated to take tasting notes (mentally) to be able to give advice to clients. Even tasting wine could become a job! I was lucky to discover that early in my life and that was quite eye opening for me. Then when people told me that I could monetize my sewing hobby I just let them talk.
This happened to me... now I don't make videos anymore, having over a million subscribers doesn't motivate me to keep going! Now I just do my hobby for fun without filming it and it feels soooo much better!
@BoulderCreekRailroad I watched your videos for a while, really amazing stuff! Glad you're doing better, I felt the same posting my art a few years back on Instagram. Felt very tedious and a chore to post the perfect final piece.
@ yeah it still makes a bit of money, for me it was always just a hobby that I started filming for fun, the extra money I made was all used to go back into filming and making videos. I have a regular day job which helped with being able to wind back the channel. If RUclips was my job I’d probably try to keep posting.
This video says everything. I've been into drawing since i was a kid, but when social media became a thing and i began sharing my work, everything slowly became a chore. I would post just for the sake of getting likes and followers, and i drew stuff that would attract more people to my account, not what i really wanted to do. I also had to post frequently as to not get hidden by the algorithm. This made me dread making art and threw me in an art block that's been going on for more than 4 years. I'm trying to get back at it with the mentality that I don't need to share everything that i do and that i should enjoy the process and not just the end result.
Almost same story for me create account got a lot of followers, burnout from shit ,almost don't draw for 2-3 years , now create new account and just use it as a Google drive , upload when I want or have time and don't chase likes, maybe even anti likes : )... Life is strange ,I guess
I totally understand, it's so horrible. Took me nearly 10 years to get slowly out of that block. Good luck overcoming this. Don't push yourself to hard.
Damn... I went through what feels like the exact same experience... it sucks so hard! I really feel you there, I hope that you can slowly get back your joy of drawing again, it's a long road so please take your time, and remember that you're enough, it doesn't need to be ultra polished as long as you're having fun. That's all that matters.
@@vytautasvanagas4106 I'm kinda doing that too! I built my own personal website and i want to dump my artworks there. No pressure to post everyday, no algorithm to follow, no likes to chase. Just my own little corner of the internet. I'm trying not to care if people find my website or not, and focusing on having fun in the process of building that website
@vilkiukemannwolf1602 wow, 10 years is a lot! The process to come back is very slow indeed, i feel that, but it's worth it. I wish i could get back that mentality of when i was a kid, where i would draw every single day without a care in the world lol
Thanks for sharing your thoughts 💚 this made me realise why I stopped posting on Instagram. It has become a performance and I hate that. I joined Instagram to become part of the sewing community, but the platform changed so much and it became frustrating to me to engage there.
I feel your pain. From foreign languages to music of different sorts, along with technology and other stuff I’m passionate about, I started filming as well, and although it was fun at the beginning, it has become a burden - note that I also lack the proper dedicated space for filming so it makes is a lot more time/effort consuming to set up the whole thing. I will probably make new videos when I feel like it, but it does put a lot of pressure and takes away a lot of the pleasure associated with the hobbies themselves. Of course, it’s different for those who chose to make it a full-time job to make videos, but that is a life choice.
YES! You hit the nail on the head with this video! I build puppets and other props and do lots of sewing. It is so much work to try and film it all and definitely takes the fun out of the process. You stated exactly what I’ve been feeling!
Hi Julia, I like to handcraft greeting cards. For a while I used to have my own website where I blogged about it and shared projects that I made. I no longer have a blog, social media, and I don't know if I will do content creation videos in the future. I do however document my progress as a card maker for my own personal portfolio, but I am not as eager to share these creations online. I am proud of the work I create, the outcome of the creations, but I find that as I mature in age I really don't want to waste time chasing after what the world considers success. Once upon a time people went to markets and enjoy the handmade goods from people in the community, the internet unfortunately made it difficult for those markets to be more accessible . I hope that society can enjoy the internet for what is , but also enjoy the face to face interactions that we as a society all need. In my humble opinion I believe it's perfectly normal to have a hobby without having to advertise it online to monetize on it unless you want to.
Filming and editing is exhausting! I don’t do any kind of long form tutorials because it takes soooo long. Good for you for pivoting and saving your hobby from feeling like work.
100% Filming anything makes the project take 10x longer! All the repositioning of the camera and documenting the steps. It made my blog a lot less fun to write. It certainly taught me a lot, like how to successfully NOT make any money online. I even wrote a whole blog post about what I learned. Because I think a lot of us are told if we take our hobbies and document them we'll instantly be raking in the $$$, which isn't always true.
I love your thoughts to sharing what you enjoy and want to share so it doesn't take away from the joy of a hobby. I've found the same to be true! It's easy to record, difficult to combine the footage and share with others.
So relatable! For the new year I have this motto "Do it for yourself". It's already helped me start new projects I wouldn't have otherwise because I should be filming it. Finished my first knitted pair of socks of this year already 🥰 and started a new sweater.
That's the most honest video I've ever seen related to this idea I'm an anime enthusiast, and back in days there weren't anime stores in my country, so I started my anime store to find these items, and once I began selling these, I immediately lost the enthusiasm to collect anime products, which really was shocking to me, that's additional to my accessories project, once I started selling them I lost the passion in making them, totally agree Thank you really, hope you find your best way in life ❤️
Thank you for putting this out there! I often feel pressure to film and/or monetize my hobbies, thank you for the reassurance that it’s okay for me to just enjoy them!
Your shirts turned out beautifully! TY for sharing your experience on making YT tutorials. I’m glad you stepped back and reconnected to your joy for sewing. IMO, that’s what’s most important 😊
This is so real. When i was 14 i started an instagram channel about painting and such, something I've been passionate about my whole life. At first it was nice just getting a few likes and comments but seeing other accounts being really successful i wanted more. In the end i ended up trying to post at least every second day (for the algorithm) so i had to finish some kind of new project at least every four days. I also got extremely perfectionistic about my paintings so i didn't even post all the stuff i made which resulted in a lot of pressure. In the end i lost all motivation to do art (obviously gave up on the insta acc) and only ever really did it when necessary (for school or a gift etc.) anymore. Im still trying to get my motivation for painting back (im 17 now) and started a few more hobbies (sewing also) . Sometimes i think of posting about them again (probably partly bc of the pressure you’ve mentioned) but im just too afraid the same thing will happen again
I do dioramas, and I watch a lot of yt channels of creative people. Sometimes I think about it, but honestly, doing this alone is so therapeutic for me. I have a stressful job, and making these dioramas is my way to relax and just have fun without any pressure. Making socials or a yt channel about it would totally ruin the fun. Things like subs, likes, or numbers would put unnecessary pressure on me to create content, chase algorithms, and always be posting stuff. In the end, I’m way better off just doing this for myself and not showing it to anyone.
I relate to this. I have getting into origami and papercraft over the last year or so, and a lot of people have casually remarked, "Hey, this is cool! Why don't you put it out on RUclips?" And it's kinda hard to explain to them that it's already hard to consistently find time for hobbies. I started making stuff with paper to feel relaxed and improve my focus. If I try to upload all that on RUclips, it will just start to feel like work. I want my art to remain fun, because I know how hard it was to get back to it after years of brain fog.
I'm into tech, coding, 3D printing, electronics etc... I got your video recomended by accident and I completely recognise myself in what you said. The whole process of filming editing takes out the fun and it becomes like work. I still try to do it but it requires an effort
I agree with you that filming every step of a project is tedious, and that it is helpful to create a variety of content that does not involve showing a tutorial. Besides having to closely examine every step, explain and show it, you have to make a finished project, so the videos can't be published as frequently. I have a quilting channel, and I do try to provide a range of videos so that I don't have to show a finished quilt in every video, and I don't have to provide step by step directions for each one either. Sometimes the audience just wants ideas and doesn't need a step by step tutorial anyway, they just want sewing content, and your idea about providing recommendations, or discussing different aspects of sewing is more interesting. I know sometimes I feel guilty in subscribing to magazines because I don't make the patterns, and don't spend time reading patterns.
Maybe you could break down the process into small bites (separate videos) and show your audience the process in pieces: sewing in a sleeve, cuffs, collar, front placard, pockets, back yoke and pleat, making button holes, etc. This way, if someone is searching for how to sew a sleeve, or whatever, your work can still help them. I know for myself, I am more interested in shorter videos in general.
And with this comment you now have a production manager. Why don't you do this or that and I prefer shorter or longer. hobbies shouldn't have production managers. I know the comments are well meaning but please think about what I'm saying. Just let the creator be and keep your fingers off the keyboard when it comes to critique.
A video about not making a video. Love your philosophy of making your joy in sewing paramount in the process. The shirt and dress are beautifully made, you are a gifted seamstress 🧡 currently working on a Kaffe Fassett stamped needlepoint and some curtains. Love this video, thank you!
thank you!! Every few years I start to think „hmm, I could do a sewing RUclips channel“ and film a video, which I never upload because I absolutely detest spending my free time infront of a computer which I already do for work. The thought has been slowly creeping into my mind again, so thank you for reminding me of the reasons I don‘t want to capitalize my hobby! xx a fellow Julia
THANK YOU for this video! Good to know that I'm not alone with this problem. I had the same problem around a decade ago, but painting and drawing. It was my beloved hobby and i became good at it just naturally while enjoying it. People were asking me to paint pictures for their living room, cover for CDs and tattoos. Offered to pay me. I agreed. So i wasn't painting/drawing what i wanted anymore, i was doing what others wanted. There was always only the thought "Will they like this? Or should i do it different?". I COMPLETELY lost the enjoyment and my favourite hobby, the only thing i was ever good at, because of this. It took me until now that i started drawing little greeting cards for people i like again. Be very careful when monetizing your hobbies!!
I do apreciable all the work behind each video and I’m so thankful to all RUclipsrs who share their creativity and knowledge because that’s the way I’ve been able to get into sewing, which has been my dream for years. Do what you enjoy, that new style you’re talking about sounds very interesting and I’ll be happy to watch your projects and ideas. Thank you! ❤
Thanks for adressing this subject! Society too often lays a lot of pressure on people to do things a certain way. So glad to see you found out what is right for you, so you can still enjoy what you are doing. When making future content I'm sure you might be able to show your process in a more overall summary instead of the labor intensive detailed way you didn't like. Good luck with whatever your favorite way of working will be, as long as you stay true to yourself, you'll be on the right track!
Hoo boy, this hits so close to home, I think you pretty much covered the overview of how making a video costs so much time. There is one important aspect about motivation that most viewers don't understand about my channel (and probably yours and others like it): This is not my day job. I made my first woodworking video only to practice presenting (or something), expecting that no one would watch it. Then I made another one on an idea that I'd been working on that I figured that I could share. For whatever reason, people watched both of those, and since then, I've put out a few more, and I sometimes feel a little pressure to do more. But between my real job and a move that completely disrupted things for a couple of years, it's been a challenge to find the time and energy to make anything, much less film it. What I've ended up doing recently is just work on important projects, film when I have the time to do that (even if I don't have time to edit into a final video), and occasionally develop ideas for videos. I do want to finish up more videos, but they have to happen on my timeline. (Not to mention that I need to find more time for sewing in addition to woodworking!)
Hi I'm also really into sewing and woodworking I was wondering if it's pretty hard or expensive to get into woodworking as an at home hobby as it's something I'm considering doing in the future
@deborahrichard68 Woodworking is as difficult or expensive as you want it to be. Anything involving machines is pricier and more space-intensive, but handheld tools (powered and non-powered) are less so and can do the same thing. As with sewing, skills need to be developed, materials need to be understood (different woods are like different fabrics), and there are many different disciplines. A common trap to fall into in woodworking is to buy way too many tools--you don't need so many as a hobbyist. Two things I'd suggest are (a) find a book you can understand and is relevant to you (I personally like Korn's "Woodwooking Basics") and (b) solid and secure workholding is really important.
I love this video! I've thought for years that monetizing your hobby will suck all the joy that it brings you. And we are totally allowed to do things FOR FUN and not always be thinking about how to turn it into a piggy bank.
My partner's been very excited to get into sewing and clothes-making for a long time and for the holidays they received their first sewing machine. I'm excited to see what they come up with! It is so important to be mindful of how we treat our hobbies and creative pursuits. It is especially dangerous for creative people, artists etc, to make a career out of or otherwise monetize their craft. It led me to complete burnout a decade ago as an illustrator, and I am having to fight through a lot of trauma to get back my ability to make art and feel joy in it without holding myself to expectations of quality. I'm still fighting it today, but I am making progress and healing more each year. I only stumbled upon this video through youtube's algorithm, but I wish you the best. I hope you find and maintain the balance you need to keep your love of sewing something that serves your own happiness above all else. Thank you for sharing your experience.
I feel this on another level. I was always a huge book reader, it was my no 1 passion. So I went into the children's book publishing industry, naturally right? Worked in production for about 10 years and it made me MISERABLE. Not only did it take out all the joy I ever git from books (to this day, sadly), it also destroyed my mental and physical health because, surprise, once you're in something for the mo ey, it takes the fun out of it quite quickly. I am super happy for everyone who turned their hobby into a job and they're still liking/loving it, but I feel like more often than not, this doesn't work out. Healthwuse, I am still recovering after these 10 gruesome years (feels wrong saying this about a cutesy children's book job but it was) and I swore to myself to never ever again turn something I love in my free time into a career/money making opportunity. Cause the greatest pleasure in doing something for fun is the fact you can just stop at all times. You do you and whatever feels right 🤗 I wish you all the best!
Totally agree! My craft is mainly knitting, and I never film and hardly ever take pics of my knits & post online, only for the very special projects, if even those. (Plus I usually have so many projects going on that I simply wouldn't have the time & energy for that ;D)
I feel this. I've been sewing for two decades now and I recently started a tiktok - I loved it at first, loved the attention and sharing tips with other people, but it soon became a stressor and an expectation, and dealing with the platform itself also became a stressor (it's so opaque!!!). I still post stuff there but I'm a lot more casual about it. Wishing you the best in your sewing journey wherever it takes you now - on or off camera.
so true!! filming and editing became so overwhelming for me and i stopped making videos all-together when i had my baby, wish i was one of those mom youtubers who can do it all but its just not me! now that i'm a mom, i want to talk about other stuff too, thinking of starting another channel but my husband is like just upload all of your creativity in one place don't overwhelm yourself even more and i think thats what ill start doing we just have to be ourselves and forget the perfectionism :) glad i found your CH! you have a new fan!
I got this video as a recommendation so stumbled upon you by accident but it couldn't have come at a better time. I'm about to start doing my first youtube videos this year and have thought about those points. For one, I've hired someone to video edit for me as it takes just so much time and I don't enjoy the work. But after your video I'm now also thinking about how to setup my space so I can easily just press record and create. Thanks for the thoughts!
Ohhh yessss!!! I can absolutely relate on that! I have a youtube channel myself for scrapbooking and I stopped. I didn't gain much subscribers and editing was a pain in the butt. 😅 I also sew and did quiet a lot on Facebook back then and even had a blog. The hussle behind the camera was so overwhelming
a lot of people enter craft communities through tutorials, since that's their main window into these spaces. they often start creating tutorial content themselves because they want to give back but also because it's the only way they know how to engage via video. it's good to see that you aren't getting hung up on that. good luck on your future videos and i hope it brings additional joy to your craft rather than draining you. if you ever want help editing that video, feel free to give me a shout. i'm no pro, but i'm happy to help if i can.
I’m not into sewing at all but I love to crochet. I took up the hobby this spring after not doing it for around ten years. I even sold all my yarns to a friend. It had become too much about showing off and making stuff for others (some paying and some not). So now when I’m into it again I’m really cautious about what I’m putting up on social media. If I feel like I want to show this thing I made, or something else then I’ll post it but otherwise I keep it to myself. With that said, I’m so impressed by your sewing! You have a gift, but it is YOUR gift! Don’t share it if you don’t want to.
Thanks for sharing your experience with crochet! It's nice to keep some projects to ourselves. I'm enjoying what I'm sharing on RUclips now, but some projects I am keeping for myself and not filming.
This is exactly why I never started a sewing or quilting channel even though I have a small following on IG. I share outcomes and reflections but have decided not to share the journey because that’s what’s for me and the thing I love. Lovely authentic share and brave pivot. I wish you every success. Our audience shouldn’t define us.
Glad you are considering changing your content to patterns to consider and fabric choices. This is very inspiring and reminds me of the Burda videos, which really helps to see how the fabric drapes once made. I used to struggle making pants, and the new pants that are on trend now with variations of elastic waistbands and fabrics with a very nice drape are at the top of my list and more casual yet chic. Thank you.
Wow, this was really insightful. This makes me think of my previous channel that I neglected. RUclips sucked the joy out of my hobbies (aromatherapy, talking entrepreneurship, and crochet).
Hey Julia, I can relate so much! I just started a RUclips Channel recently and also recognised that the thought of setting up my camera in general and also between all the steps makes me less motivated to sew. I already filmed a few videos but haven’t edited them completely because I never edited something before and it’s taking me so much time and effort. Like you I am trying to find a balance between sewing and creating content without pressuring myself too much. Wish you all the best!
I really loved this video. I think it's important to remember for so many people that filming and editing on it's own is such a separate beast - and it's not for everyone! This whole new era of creating content and putting it all online means that we are all doing different things... but we are all filming and editing. And it's not going to bring joy for ... actually A LOT of people. I know a lot of people who have grew fast outsource their editing. But that's not always realistic for small channels who can't afford that. All that hard work doing stuff you dont love.. can really suck the joy and love away from the things you do love!
There’s a very wise piece of advice that I think about a lot, which is to not monetize one’s joy. I very much appreciate what you have to say, here. As for what I’m working on, I’m going through my unfinished knitting projects, trying to figure out why I set them aside, and then seeing if I can get them back on track.
Trying to share things on my two channels has taken some of the fun out of things at times for me and does indeed add time to doing what would otherwise be something simple. Thanks for being honest and upfront. It can take a lot of prep to be "spontaneous". 😀
Back in high school, I was the only guy who took sewing, alongside wood and metalwork. It was such a unique and fun experience-being surrounded by a class full of girls while learning something different was unforgettable. Fast forward to today, I’ve found my passion in electronics repair, and, like you, I recently started a RUclips channel. My neighbor was the one who encouraged me-he believes this type of content is much needed in our region since no one else is doing it here. Your video really struck a chord with me. As someone who’s always been a creative soul and loves making and fixing things, I completely understand how editing can take the joy out of a hobby. While I do enjoy seeing a polished final product, the editing process is exhausting. Most of my videos take 2-4 hours to edit, and, as you said, it can make the whole experience feel like a chore instead of a passion. Thank you for sharing your journey-it reminded me I’m not alone in this, and it’s so encouraging to hear someone else’s story. Keep inspiring others!
The same is happening to me right now, but I can't stop I just started. I sew too but I knew it would be difficult to film all the process, it's a lot. So I decided to show my art instead. Sending love and inspiration on your way. 🤗💞
I completely understand you, I'm in that process right now and I didn't imagine how time consuming it is just to get your video out there. The only thing that keep me going is that I need the extra money, so quitting is not an option for me.
I totally agree. Even with a fast setup where you can just sit down and record, the editing takes a lot of time no matter what. What helped me with "the urge to post something" is live streaming. It lets you show a project in every step and also engage with your community, in more depth than with comments under a video, I would argue. Cool video, very relatable 👍
That's a great point. I appreciate the video. I am just starting my RUclips channel and am finding the difficulties you mentioned. It's refreshing to hear about the power of pivoting when you find something is not working joyfully. I just subscribed and love how talented you are. Thank you for making this video.
This video sort of randomly came in to my youtube recommendations; Short but still very nuanced and thoughtful, really enjoyed listening to your point of view. And I agree, a hobby can so easily become a chore when trying either to monetise it or even just constantly improve because of comparison with other people on the internet and never feeling good enough as a result.
I sometimes think about this too with my channel and I think you are right in every aspect but don;t forget that for a lot of viewers you have done something very positive in that you created community. And thank you for making those videos.
Completely spot-on. I’m not into sewing, but have a camera and again wanted to monetize my hobbies. Turned on the camera and couldn’t even record all the footage I wanted because all the energy just left my body and I had no interest in filming, instead just in the creative process!
I have no idea why RUclips placed your video on my feed, and I'm so glad it did. This was a lovely video that can help a lot of people. Even though I don't sew, I do love creativity and the thought that goes into creative projects. I've subscribed and look forward to more of your videos.
Oh dear, I can relate so well. I design sewing patterns and mostly I just include instructions, which are time consuming enough doing all sketches myself. However the demand for having video instructions was big, so I tried. And damn, that was a s**tload of work and effort. I have one playlist for sewing a blazer and it took me almost two months to complete filming and editing, while trying to work on new patterns for release. I quickly gave up and now I will rather do short tutorials an specific techniques or things, that are hard to explain through just sketches and text. The pressure for creating and releasing new patterns is too demanding to leave time for videos, although I have loads of ideas for videos I would really love to do.
I've thought about designing patterns and looked into it and realized the enormous amount of work that goes into it... maybe one day! I'm glad you are able to dedicate your time to making patterns, and it sounds like you've come up with a great solution to only make short tutorials for speciic technical things.
Exactly my sentiment. I am a working photographer and to be quite upfront it’s not as fun as what it was when it was a hobby. Once you make your hobby a business, the fun and enjoyment does reduce dramatically. When young hobbies photographers approached me for advice about becoming professional the first question I asked them is do you still want to enjoy and love photography once you start your business because it will change?
Yeah, this video hits home. I have a massive tutorial video that I'm halfway through editing and just DREADING working on it again. But sometimes making a tightly crafted tutorial is satisfying. I do love sharing my thought process and updates on my personal projects though so trying to figure out how to make recording fun. thanks for sharing your thoughts
I appreciate your hard work on the quality of video: the lighting and the sound are perfect. I can understand how hard it is, and for the same reason I almost stopped to make videos on my hobby - it's like a second full time job to make them good enough in comparison with all the youtubers we watch
You gave me much to think about. I’m on the verge of filming for RUclips and don’t want it to take away the fun. I do like taking pictures of my process because I like to see how I go from one step to another. I need to think on this more to see if and how I can make it work. Thank you.
I enjoy you videos and hope you continue to create content. You have excellent camera presence. It is great to watch videos of someone with a skill for sewing and pattern design. Keep making videos…it does get easier for set up and editing! I look forward to seeing more of your content 😊
Great thoughts. I find it really relatable as someone who has tried creating projects or channels out of my hobbies... both in music and gaming. I also am a video editor as my day job, so it adds an extra layer of "feeling like work" when I have to edit what I've filmed lol
It is extremely tricky. I started my channel skateboarding for myself and to give my kids something to be proud of. In the process of doing this I've started finding the process of editing videos to be really fun! I'm no good at it yet, but I just got me a gopro and I'm excited to start using it. The key for me has been limiting the amount of time that I film. I don't skate to film, if I'm taking a video I try to make it maybe 5% of the time that I'm actually out skating
WOAHH. THIS VIDEO IS SOMETHING I DIDN'T KNOW I needed! It comforts me. Thank you! I love dancing and learning kpop dances, but as I continue filming myself, sometimes it drains me. Therefore, I also stop doing it sometimes because it suddenly becomes a dreadful process for me. But then I'll miss doing the craft and do it again. Hihihi It is actually fun anyway and I think it's cool, that is why I am still doing it.
When I was young I was told find something you love doing, make it your job, and you’ll never get tired of work. Every time I did that I grew to despise the things I used to love.
It's strange that your video popped up on my feed as my area of interest is different, but I've lately been thinking about what you talk about. I have many videos planned but time is always against me. For me it's the editing that eats up the time. Because of this, I've barely engaged with my hobby at all. I've decided I will film what I do but leave the voice overs & editing to a time that feels right. That way I may actually get to engage with my hobby and actually enjoy it. 😊
Your video popped up on my suggested, and I fully understand what you're talking about and where you're coming from. Tutorials are very time-consuming and the least fun to make. Like what you mentioned about the editing, but also because you can't really talk about anything besides that one thing. The upside is a lot of people do gain knowledge and help from them, so I suppose that's the trade off. Sewing vlogs are more freeing, because you can just talk while making. Anyway, I think I'm rambling, so I'll end this with saying I find you very likeable and your idea for future videos sounds good. I shall sub and lie in wait for your next video
Great video! For me the struggle was the voiceover. I found it mind numbingly tedious to narrate the steps of what I am doing, when the viewer can plainly see what I am doing. How many engaging ways can I say, "And then I glued this piece to this piece"? So now I use my story telling as the voiceover.
Do the things you love. You dont have to make tutorials! Its YOUR channel so you share what you feel for sharing and you dont have to make content all the time only even now and then when you feel for it.
I was literally sewing as I was watching this, and I was just thinking earlier how much faster I'm sewing this since I'm not stopping to film it constantly. Thanks for the video!
Great video. Thats why i make mostly livestreams with minimum to no setup. But also my hobbie requires little set up. Also, im not really into sewing, but that shirt looks so profesional 👏
Good one. I'm now in the process of getting back the feeling of fun recording videos for youtube. And it's great to see other people rethinking that too. Thank you for your video
I love creating content and am a full time creator myself but I definitely keep all of my hobbies outside of my niche for myself for these exact reasons. Great video & reminder in the day and age of oversharing everything on the internet.
This happened to me but not via RUclips. I loved music so much that I made it my profession. I taught music in schools for around 30 years. During that time, although I still loved music, it became more of a task. Because in teaching, there's never enough time to get arrangements written and pieces planned out, much of this would take time in my 'spare' time outside of work. In the end, every time I sat down to compose new music or write arrangements of music, it was always overshadowed by having to do this for students. By the end, I had done very little 'music' that wasn't for work. In my 10 years post-teaching, I really haven't done much in the way of music. (This is probably more related to other health factors though.) I've done more art though! Maybe this is my happy balance.
I have a sewing RUclips channel since 4 years now and I've been sharing tutorials mostly.. and actually I have your same problems.. making tutorials takes a lot of time and effort but it's a bit difficult for me to switch and find other topic for making more 'chill' videos, because my audience is already used to that..so it's good that you realized that very quickly..! 🤗
I learned this lesson regarding selling my creations (sewing, crocheting, artwork, etc...). When I tried to do this it took all the joy out of the process. Now, like you I enjoy RUclips and feel like I ought to not miss this opportunity, but... Is is the juice worth the squeeze? I'm not sure.
The way you respectfully perfecting your garments I can tell right away that you can’t afford to post imperfect video. I understand your frustration, and agree: if you want to sew - just sew! Maximum make a Live Photo once in a while ❤ but enjoy your primary activity - and focus on yourself
sometimes feel internal and external pressure to expand in to RUclips video making because my hobbies bring me so much joy especially my blog. However as you said it becomes work. I appreciate working a part-time gig and letting my free time be devoted to my hobbies.
This is so true. I mostly film content around solar. And filming/editing can become very tedious at times. I guess a lot of it depends on the persons motivation for starting the channel. And that can evolve over time. I’m still working on finding a good balance for my channel. In the meantime I still love what i do, but I guess it’s about finding that balance to make the whole process enjoyable.
You're completely right that filming your hobbies inherently changes the craft--because it becomes a performance, rather than a practice.
Exactly!
wow. you've just put exactly what seems to be holding me back around this.
My thoughts exactly, it's something I've become VERY aware of recently 😅
YES, unless your hobby involves performance, like when I do guitar videos. But how to play this song, step by step, is not the same video as a performance.
I disagree, while it does change the process, the "performativity"(??) is not an inherent element of this change, and depends on one's approach, personality and the like. There are people who are simply neither bothered by the camera, nor care about the recording part becoming *the* craft. In fact youtube is still full of these (granted, not particularly successful, but I don't think channel owners care about that!) "I'm just doing my thing" videos, many with next to no editing.
Btw as to music this distinction also exists - I grew up attending music school used to be a part-time professional for a while, but I couldn't care less about the performance aspect. I polish the piece as much as I feel satisfied with and... Never do anything with it. I like playing it for myself, sure, but I would never perform it if I didn't have to, and it's rarely performance-ready (but then maybe my history with music school just elevated the bar of "readiness" a bit too high for me, no idea).
Unless the filming and editing is also your hobby it kind of becomes tedious
SO TEDIOUS 😭 But I'm learning a ton so I'm still entertained.
There's a lot of tedious elements to it even to a hobbyist - I think most hobbies have that aspect. I'm fairly sure nobody finds an hour long drive to the lumbermill and price negotiations particularly engaging either, to me it's particularly annoying if I'm not planning to sell the piece because damn is that expensive.
I do some sewing for myself as well and there's a lot of stuff I find tedious as well especially with leather. The sewing process alone, in fact. Or triple checking whether everything is alright before cutting.
Then you have to film yourself while you film and film yourself editing... 😆
and film yourself filming the editing of the filming of the editing of the filming.
@@VorTex108 Oh yeah I literally did that. Availavle on my some lastest shorts. The timelapse song. Lol.
There is so much pressure to monetize our hobbies. People realise this takes it from a hobby to a business, right? I joined Insta to find a sewing community and it's not what I thought it was. I want to talk to people, share experiences, ask for advice and instead it's an occasional like, maybe a "congrats" as a comment. I have no local community and live isolated on a farm and 'finding an online sewing community' has been a huge let down in so many ways. I love what you did with those button up shirts, the plain one looks amazingly comfortable.
I had the same experience with instagram. It's hard to find a genuine community online.
Thanks for your comment, and yes the button down shirt is very comfortable!
Maybe the sewing community on reddit works better for you?
madeatbentwood, I JUST had this conversation with someone about monetizing hobbies. Once it becomes a business and you are dependent on that income, all of the joy goes out of the hobby. I create for joy and if dollars want to come along, good but money is not my primary objective.
@@liselotteline8596 thank you for the suggestion ☺️
Perhaps finding a sewing community on discord could be the community you are looking for!
Not into sewing, the algorithm brought me here but you're right. I loved taking photos and making photoshop edits as a hobby to where I built a decent sized following on Instagram. Then due to the demand of more content and reels, I started filming POVs of me taking photos and my editing process just to stay relevant and it just burned me out due to the extra steps. I started to hate my hobby and needed a break. It's been 2 years of just not doing much and I am still trying to get back into my hobby and doing what I once loved but the mental block of burning out again is making me take more caution to see if I should go through that again. It is great you shared your experience to show the drawbacks of the commodification of our hobbies on social media.
This was suggested in the Suing video I watched :3
Great commentary on the pressure of filming the steps. I feel that way about selling. Many say, "You should sell your stuff." I accepted an order for nine quilts over the summer, and I wound up dreading going into the sewing room. Thanks for sharing your experience!
9 QUILTS??? That's a lot to produce !! Bless your heart!
Yes, and *can you make one of these for me? I don't want to pay you much for it, maybe not even cover the cost of the materials. Why would you want to be paid for doing something you enjoy?* Or even *I'd love one of those for Christmas/my birthday*. I sometimes ask them how much minimum wage is these days, then give them an estimate based on that. They might get offended, I might lose a *friend*, but real friends already know how much time and effort you put into making something. Relatives are a bit more problematic!
I miss the days where there was little to no monetary gain to be had from RUclips. Where "being a youtuber" wasn't about chasing algorithms or making content for the sake of content.
I'm really happy to see someone address this, and that you want to make videos because you WANT to, and not because it's something you feel like you SHOULD make it.
You don't have to monetize. But the economy is so bad people are counting on the money that can be made. I'm not sure people can afford "hobbies" anymore. Like the women who took in sewing in the old days. I didn't know that my mom could sew clothes or quilt until I was in my teens. Because her mother set the girls to "doing mending" to help keep their house full of kids afloat. My mother found no joy in sewing. But as an adult, I appreciated her beautiful stitches on our mended clothes. Looked like machine stitches. You don't need youtube to ruin a skill
Nothing wrong with making a little something by doing what one loves-it’s not any different than making an income from being a nurse if one loved nursing.
@@TrashyTreasyours The surest fire way of turning a love into a hate is by making it your job (nursing included).
@@l.5832You seem to have a very unhealthy relationship to your work. Believe me, there are people who love what they do for a living.
I'm not. So many people are able to get out of toxic home and job environments because they can support themselves with the thing they love no less. Certainly helped me.
Rather have that then nothing.
My #1 hobby is ruining hobbies by turning them into businesses. But, I didn't realize the wisdom this young lady speaks until I was in my 40s. Thank you for spreading this important message!
What you're saying here is so incredibly valuable and I wish for this video to reach more souls.
I always drew and I am a professional 3D artist, but if there is anything that I learned from my experience of exposing my drawings to a larger audience, is that it almost disgusted me of drawing altogether. Thankfully I stopped showing my art online and disabled my Instagram account right before the tipping point, but I felt that expectations started to settle in, that some pieces were gathering more likes than others, and ultimately, little by little, it killed the joy that I had, to draw.
I started to draw more for an audience than for myself, pushing some styles or themes over some that I enjoyed more, just because I knew that some of these more ''personal'' pieces that spoke to me where reaching almost nobody compared to fanarts and other similar things. The intention behind the act of drawing in itself got completely corrupted in the process, and it took me years to be able to go through the horrendous art block that this created for me. I truly wish this on nobody.
Protect your art and your joy of creating at all costs.
I love videos hearing about the creative process. I feel like so many channels are all about the hauls now and that gets tiring. Show us the planning, the dreaming, doodling or sketching. Show us the finish and what worked and what didn't. Maybe make a scrap book or porfolio page while you talk about the project. Most of all, it's just nice to have a chatty human around while working on projects.
YES - I love watching videos like that. It's so much fun to see other people's creative process.
Love this so much!
Adam Savage of Tested is my chatty human while I'm working.
And right here...this comment is what ruins a hobby. Instead of letting the creator "create" it becomes armchair quartbacks suggesting this and demanding that and how to make the video Netflix, CBS quality.
I don't know if my computer was listening, but i was just talking to my husband about possibly starting a YT channel and he shook his head no. He’s right, it can kill your enthusiasm for your hobby with stress and pressure. I’d rather create stuff than edit/setup lights/voice over, etc.
But you should at least try it for a month or two. Don't say right away that you don't like it.
For some people, it makes if way more enjoyable to do their craft, and rather than it being a tutorial, it could be a video for you to look back on and to not get many views, like something to see to think of how far you’ve come in skill. As long as you don’t pressure yourself and keep things simple, learning editing and filming can be very fun and could be applied to many different subjects.
@@LopsideMakes If that is one's purpose in making the videos, then you can just making them without posting them on a public forum.
So, that's a broad thing to say, starting a RUclips channel. What does that mean exactly? You might have a narrow view of what it is, and there's actually other options for you. Why do you want to start a RUclips channel if you did? Do you want to share with the world? Maybe do a podcast style. It takes you a few hours to do a project, just set a camera up, and have some topics to talk about while you're doing your process, and then just do it like that.
And RUclips has a way to edit a video after effect. So if you're feeling froggy, you can go ahead and do it then. If not, then you just have this nice long video that if you ever want to show somebody, hey, I did this. This is my process. And there you go. Cut. Best of luck on whatever you choose to do.
You're right, and the most frustrating this is when you forget to shoot a huge part of the process because you're drawn into it and end up with less content.
Definitely.
Yes, you did shoot it, but something goes wrong, the audio cuts out, the dog is barking or playing with a squeaky toy, or the camera runs out of battery
Oh dear yes! Been there done that. And then trying to edit your way around it!
Not sure why I was recommended this video but I'm so grateful to have found it! Thank you for sharing your experience! I've been considering a YT channel for my crochet and knitting but also have a lot of doubts and hesitation for exactly the same reasons you mentioned. Right now my hobby is my only outlet as a busy mom and having it disturbed or stripped of joy scares me! I'm glad you seem to have found a balance now that you've taken some time off. The Arabic speaking crochet community on RUclips has a tradition of filming hobby/crafts diaries either monthly or bi-monthly or a few times a year where makers talk about and show what they've been working on, recommend patterns, discuss future projects or wishlists etc. I've been introduced to so many new crafts and arts by them and it's always fun to put a video on while working on a project or even doing the dishes!
For most of us sewing is a hobby and not a job, and therefore should be fun - except for the fails, of course! I enjoy RUclips sewing videos so much that I have completely stopped watching "regular" TV and I really appreciate everyone who goes to the trouble of making the videos. It should be at the pace and desire of the video creator - when it's not fun, you are right - why are you doing it? However, I selfishly hope videos continue to be created because I am enjoying them and learning so much! Thank you!
I'm with ya -- love creating, hate editing. I actually don't mind filming my process, just as long as I'm not speaking to the camera and I'm only capturing from one angle.
I hear you. I think my biggest problem was trying to film too many angles.
Once you add a monetary component to anything the fun go out the window! As a student I work in a wine store. Every time I taste something either between friends or family I felt obligated to take tasting notes (mentally) to be able to give advice to clients. Even tasting wine could become a job! I was lucky to discover that early in my life and that was quite eye opening for me. Then when people told me that I could monetize my sewing hobby I just let them talk.
This happened to me... now I don't make videos anymore, having over a million subscribers doesn't motivate me to keep going!
Now I just do my hobby for fun without filming it and it feels soooo much better!
I just wanted to say that I’m happy to hear you feel so much better. Enjoy the next thing you may have a beautiful day.
Do you make money from your channel still? I wouldn’t be able to walk away from that I fear.
@BoulderCreekRailroad I watched your videos for a while, really amazing stuff! Glad you're doing better, I felt the same posting my art a few years back on Instagram. Felt very tedious and a chore to post the perfect final piece.
@ yeah it still makes a bit of money, for me it was always just a hobby that I started filming for fun, the extra money I made was all used to go back into filming and making videos. I have a regular day job which helped with being able to wind back the channel. If RUclips was my job I’d probably try to keep posting.
@ that sounds like it’d be a nightmare if you relied on it and had to keep going☹️
This video says everything. I've been into drawing since i was a kid, but when social media became a thing and i began sharing my work, everything slowly became a chore. I would post just for the sake of getting likes and followers, and i drew stuff that would attract more people to my account, not what i really wanted to do. I also had to post frequently as to not get hidden by the algorithm. This made me dread making art and threw me in an art block that's been going on for more than 4 years. I'm trying to get back at it with the mentality that I don't need to share everything that i do and that i should enjoy the process and not just the end result.
Almost same story for me create account got a lot of followers, burnout from shit ,almost don't draw for 2-3 years , now create new account and just use it as a Google drive , upload when I want or have time and don't chase likes, maybe even anti likes : )... Life is strange ,I guess
I totally understand, it's so horrible. Took me nearly 10 years to get slowly out of that block.
Good luck overcoming this. Don't push yourself to hard.
Damn... I went through what feels like the exact same experience... it sucks so hard! I really feel you there, I hope that you can slowly get back your joy of drawing again, it's a long road so please take your time, and remember that you're enough, it doesn't need to be ultra polished as long as you're having fun. That's all that matters.
@@vytautasvanagas4106 I'm kinda doing that too! I built my own personal website and i want to dump my artworks there. No pressure to post everyday, no algorithm to follow, no likes to chase. Just my own little corner of the internet. I'm trying not to care if people find my website or not, and focusing on having fun in the process of building that website
@vilkiukemannwolf1602 wow, 10 years is a lot! The process to come back is very slow indeed, i feel that, but it's worth it. I wish i could get back that mentality of when i was a kid, where i would draw every single day without a care in the world lol
Thanks for sharing your thoughts 💚 this made me realise why I stopped posting on Instagram. It has become a performance and I hate that. I joined Instagram to become part of the sewing community, but the platform changed so much and it became frustrating to me to engage there.
I feel the same way about instagram. It really has changed a lot.
I feel your pain. From foreign languages to music of different sorts, along with technology and other stuff I’m passionate about, I started filming as well, and although it was fun at the beginning, it has become a burden - note that I also lack the proper dedicated space for filming so it makes is a lot more time/effort consuming to set up the whole thing. I will probably make new videos when I feel like it, but it does put a lot of pressure and takes away a lot of the pleasure associated with the hobbies themselves. Of course, it’s different for those who chose to make it a full-time job to make videos, but that is a life choice.
Thanks. I almost made this mistake, thinking that filming my work would MOTIVATE me!
YES! You hit the nail on the head with this video! I build puppets and other props and do lots of sewing. It is so much work to try and film it all and definitely takes the fun out of the process. You stated exactly what I’ve been feeling!
Hi Julia, I like to handcraft greeting cards. For a while I used to have my own website where I blogged about it and shared projects that I made. I no longer have a blog, social media, and I don't know if I will do content creation videos in the future.
I do however document my progress as a card maker for my own personal portfolio, but I am not as eager to share these creations online. I am proud of the work I create, the outcome of the creations, but I find that as I mature in age I really don't want to waste time chasing after what the world considers success.
Once upon a time people went to markets and enjoy the handmade goods from people in the community, the internet unfortunately made it difficult for those markets to be more accessible .
I hope that society can enjoy the internet for what is , but also enjoy the face to face interactions that we as a society all need.
In my humble opinion I believe it's perfectly normal to have a hobby without having to advertise it online to monetize on it unless you want to.
Filming and editing is exhausting! I don’t do any kind of long form tutorials because it takes soooo long. Good for you for pivoting and saving your hobby from feeling like work.
100% Filming anything makes the project take 10x longer! All the repositioning of the camera and documenting the steps. It made my blog a lot less fun to write. It certainly taught me a lot, like how to successfully NOT make any money online. I even wrote a whole blog post about what I learned. Because I think a lot of us are told if we take our hobbies and document them we'll instantly be raking in the $$$, which isn't always true.
I love your thoughts to sharing what you enjoy and want to share so it doesn't take away from the joy of a hobby. I've found the same to be true! It's easy to record, difficult to combine the footage and share with others.
Yay! Drop the camera and do stuff that makes YOU happy no matter how it looks to others. You don't need their valuation.
"validation"
So relatable! For the new year I have this motto "Do it for yourself". It's already helped me start new projects I wouldn't have otherwise because I should be filming it. Finished my first knitted pair of socks of this year already 🥰 and started a new sweater.
That's a great motto!! Congrats on finishing your first knitted socks!
That's the most honest video I've ever seen related to this idea
I'm an anime enthusiast, and back in days there weren't anime stores in my country, so I started my anime store to find these items, and once I began selling these, I immediately lost the enthusiasm to collect anime products, which really was shocking to me, that's additional to my accessories project, once I started selling them I lost the passion in making them, totally agree
Thank you really, hope you find your best way in life ❤️
Thank you for putting this out there! I often feel pressure to film and/or monetize my hobbies, thank you for the reassurance that it’s okay for me to just enjoy them!
Your shirts turned out beautifully! TY for sharing your experience on making YT tutorials. I’m glad you stepped back and reconnected to your joy for sewing. IMO, that’s what’s most important 😊
Thank you! I'm glad you liked the shirts! 😊
This is so real. When i was 14 i started an instagram channel about painting and such, something I've been passionate about my whole life. At first it was nice just getting a few likes and comments but seeing other accounts being really successful i wanted more. In the end i ended up trying to post at least every second day (for the algorithm) so i had to finish some kind of new project at least every four days. I also got extremely perfectionistic about my paintings so i didn't even post all the stuff i made which resulted in a lot of pressure. In the end i lost all motivation to do art (obviously gave up on the insta acc) and only ever really did it when necessary (for school or a gift etc.) anymore. Im still trying to get my motivation for painting back (im 17 now) and started a few more hobbies (sewing also) . Sometimes i think of posting about them again (probably partly bc of the pressure you’ve mentioned) but im just too afraid the same thing will happen again
I do dioramas, and I watch a lot of yt channels of creative people. Sometimes I think about it, but honestly, doing this alone is so therapeutic for me. I have a stressful job, and making these dioramas is my way to relax and just have fun without any pressure. Making socials or a yt channel about it would totally ruin the fun. Things like subs, likes, or numbers would put unnecessary pressure on me to create content, chase algorithms, and always be posting stuff. In the end, I’m way better off just doing this for myself and not showing it to anyone.
I relate to this. I have getting into origami and papercraft over the last year or so, and a lot of people have casually remarked, "Hey, this is cool! Why don't you put it out on RUclips?" And it's kinda hard to explain to them that it's already hard to consistently find time for hobbies. I started making stuff with paper to feel relaxed and improve my focus. If I try to upload all that on RUclips, it will just start to feel like work. I want my art to remain fun, because I know how hard it was to get back to it after years of brain fog.
I'm into tech, coding, 3D printing, electronics etc...
I got your video recomended by accident and I completely recognise myself in what you said.
The whole process of filming editing takes out the fun and it becomes like work.
I still try to do it but it requires an effort
I agree with you that filming every step of a project is tedious, and that it is helpful to create a variety of content that does not involve showing a tutorial. Besides having to closely examine every step, explain and show it, you have to make a finished project, so the videos can't be published as frequently. I have a quilting channel, and I do try to provide a range of videos so that I don't have to show a finished quilt in every video, and I don't have to provide step by step directions for each one either. Sometimes the audience just wants ideas and doesn't need a step by step tutorial anyway, they just want sewing content, and your idea about providing recommendations, or discussing different aspects of sewing is more interesting. I know sometimes I feel guilty in subscribing to magazines because I don't make the patterns, and don't spend time reading patterns.
Great point. With quilting it can take years to make a finished project!
@@sewjuliaomg you have no idea how freaking VALIDATED you made me feel with that comment. 😭🥹💜
Maybe you could break down the process into small bites (separate videos) and show your audience the process in pieces: sewing in a sleeve, cuffs, collar, front placard, pockets, back yoke and pleat, making button holes, etc. This way, if someone is searching for how to sew a sleeve, or whatever, your work can still help them. I know for myself, I am more interested in shorter videos in general.
That's a good idea
And with this comment you now have a production manager. Why don't you do this or that and I prefer shorter or longer. hobbies shouldn't have production managers. I know the comments are well meaning but please think about what I'm saying. Just let the creator be and keep your fingers off the keyboard when it comes to critique.
A video about not making a video. Love your philosophy of making your joy in sewing paramount in the process. The shirt and dress are beautifully made, you are a gifted seamstress 🧡 currently working on a Kaffe Fassett stamped needlepoint and some curtains. Love this video, thank you!
thank you!! Every few years I start to think „hmm, I could do a sewing RUclips channel“ and film a video, which I never upload because I absolutely detest spending my free time infront of a computer which I already do for work. The thought has been slowly creeping into my mind again, so thank you for reminding me of the reasons I don‘t want to capitalize my hobby! xx a fellow Julia
You are so welcome!
THANK YOU for this video! Good to know that I'm not alone with this problem.
I had the same problem around a decade ago, but painting and drawing. It was my beloved hobby and i became good at it just naturally while enjoying it. People were asking me to paint pictures for their living room, cover for CDs and tattoos. Offered to pay me. I agreed. So i wasn't painting/drawing what i wanted anymore, i was doing what others wanted. There was always only the thought "Will they like this? Or should i do it different?". I COMPLETELY lost the enjoyment and my favourite hobby, the only thing i was ever good at, because of this. It took me until now that i started drawing little greeting cards for people i like again.
Be very careful when monetizing your hobbies!!
I do apreciable all the work behind each video and I’m so thankful to all RUclipsrs who share their creativity and knowledge because that’s the way I’ve been able to get into sewing, which has been my dream for years. Do what you enjoy, that new style you’re talking about sounds very interesting and I’ll be happy to watch your projects and ideas. Thank you! ❤
Thanks for adressing this subject! Society too often lays a lot of pressure on people to do things a certain way. So glad to see you found out what is right for you, so you can still enjoy what you are doing. When making future content I'm sure you might be able to show your process in a more overall summary instead of the labor intensive detailed way you didn't like. Good luck with whatever your favorite way of working will be, as long as you stay true to yourself, you'll be on the right track!
Hoo boy, this hits so close to home, I think you pretty much covered the overview of how making a video costs so much time. There is one important aspect about motivation that most viewers don't understand about my channel (and probably yours and others like it): This is not my day job. I made my first woodworking video only to practice presenting (or something), expecting that no one would watch it. Then I made another one on an idea that I'd been working on that I figured that I could share. For whatever reason, people watched both of those, and since then, I've put out a few more, and I sometimes feel a little pressure to do more. But between my real job and a move that completely disrupted things for a couple of years, it's been a challenge to find the time and energy to make anything, much less film it. What I've ended up doing recently is just work on important projects, film when I have the time to do that (even if I don't have time to edit into a final video), and occasionally develop ideas for videos. I do want to finish up more videos, but they have to happen on my timeline.
(Not to mention that I need to find more time for sewing in addition to woodworking!)
Hi
I'm also really into sewing and woodworking
I was wondering if it's pretty hard or expensive to get into woodworking as an at home hobby as it's something I'm considering doing in the future
@deborahrichard68 Woodworking is as difficult or expensive as you want it to be. Anything involving machines is pricier and more space-intensive, but handheld tools (powered and non-powered) are less so and can do the same thing. As with sewing, skills need to be developed, materials need to be understood (different woods are like different fabrics), and there are many different disciplines. A common trap to fall into in woodworking is to buy way too many tools--you don't need so many as a hobbyist. Two things I'd suggest are (a) find a book you can understand and is relevant to you (I personally like Korn's "Woodwooking Basics") and (b) solid and secure workholding is really important.
I love this video! I've thought for years that monetizing your hobby will suck all the joy that it brings you. And we are totally allowed to do things FOR FUN and not always be thinking about how to turn it into a piggy bank.
My partner's been very excited to get into sewing and clothes-making for a long time and for the holidays they received their first sewing machine. I'm excited to see what they come up with!
It is so important to be mindful of how we treat our hobbies and creative pursuits. It is especially dangerous for creative people, artists etc, to make a career out of or otherwise monetize their craft. It led me to complete burnout a decade ago as an illustrator, and I am having to fight through a lot of trauma to get back my ability to make art and feel joy in it without holding myself to expectations of quality. I'm still fighting it today, but I am making progress and healing more each year.
I only stumbled upon this video through youtube's algorithm, but I wish you the best. I hope you find and maintain the balance you need to keep your love of sewing something that serves your own happiness above all else. Thank you for sharing your experience.
I feel this on another level. I was always a huge book reader, it was my no 1 passion. So I went into the children's book publishing industry, naturally right? Worked in production for about 10 years and it made me MISERABLE. Not only did it take out all the joy I ever git from books (to this day, sadly), it also destroyed my mental and physical health because, surprise, once you're in something for the mo ey, it takes the fun out of it quite quickly. I am super happy for everyone who turned their hobby into a job and they're still liking/loving it, but I feel like more often than not, this doesn't work out. Healthwuse, I am still recovering after these 10 gruesome years (feels wrong saying this about a cutesy children's book job but it was) and I swore to myself to never ever again turn something I love in my free time into a career/money making opportunity. Cause the greatest pleasure in doing something for fun is the fact you can just stop at all times.
You do you and whatever feels right 🤗 I wish you all the best!
Thanks for sharing this! I'm wishing you all the best too and hope one day you can enjoy books again!
Totally agree! My craft is mainly knitting, and I never film and hardly ever take pics of my knits & post online, only for the very special projects, if even those. (Plus I usually have so many projects going on that I simply wouldn't have the time & energy for that ;D)
I feel this. I've been sewing for two decades now and I recently started a tiktok - I loved it at first, loved the attention and sharing tips with other people, but it soon became a stressor and an expectation, and dealing with the platform itself also became a stressor (it's so opaque!!!). I still post stuff there but I'm a lot more casual about it.
Wishing you the best in your sewing journey wherever it takes you now - on or off camera.
so true!! filming and editing became so overwhelming for me and i stopped making videos all-together when i had my baby, wish i was one of those mom youtubers who can do it all but its just not me! now that i'm a mom, i want to talk about other stuff too, thinking of starting another channel but my husband is like just upload all of your creativity in one place don't overwhelm yourself even more and i think thats what ill start doing we just have to be ourselves and forget the perfectionism :) glad i found your CH! you have a new fan!
I got this video as a recommendation so stumbled upon you by accident but it couldn't have come at a better time. I'm about to start doing my first youtube videos this year and have thought about those points. For one, I've hired someone to video edit for me as it takes just so much time and I don't enjoy the work. But after your video I'm now also thinking about how to setup my space so I can easily just press record and create.
Thanks for the thoughts!
Ohhh yessss!!! I can absolutely relate on that! I have a youtube channel myself for scrapbooking and I stopped. I didn't gain much subscribers and editing was a pain in the butt. 😅
I also sew and did quiet a lot on Facebook back then and even had a blog. The hussle behind the camera was so overwhelming
Girl you’re doing great. I understand.
a lot of people enter craft communities through tutorials, since that's their main window into these spaces. they often start creating tutorial content themselves because they want to give back but also because it's the only way they know how to engage via video. it's good to see that you aren't getting hung up on that. good luck on your future videos and i hope it brings additional joy to your craft rather than draining you. if you ever want help editing that video, feel free to give me a shout. i'm no pro, but i'm happy to help if i can.
Thank you for the kind words and the offer! I will keep that in mind if I need editing help.
I’m not into sewing at all but I love to crochet. I took up the hobby this spring after not doing it for around ten years. I even sold all my yarns to a friend. It had become too much about showing off and making stuff for others (some paying and some not). So now when I’m into it again I’m really cautious about what I’m putting up on social media. If I feel like I want to show this thing I made, or something else then I’ll post it but otherwise I keep it to myself.
With that said, I’m so impressed by your sewing! You have a gift, but it is YOUR gift! Don’t share it if you don’t want to.
Thanks for sharing your experience with crochet! It's nice to keep some projects to ourselves. I'm enjoying what I'm sharing on RUclips now, but some projects I am keeping for myself and not filming.
This is exactly why I never started a sewing or quilting channel even though I have a small following on IG. I share outcomes and reflections but have decided not to share the journey because that’s what’s for me and the thing I love. Lovely authentic share and brave pivot. I wish you every success. Our audience shouldn’t define us.
Glad you are considering changing your content to patterns to consider and fabric choices. This is very inspiring and reminds me of the Burda videos, which really helps to see how the fabric drapes once made. I used to struggle making pants, and the new pants that are on trend now with variations of elastic waistbands and fabrics with a very nice drape are at the top of my list and more casual yet chic. Thank you.
I've had a few failed attempts at making pants. I'm loving the style with elastic waistbands, and made my favourite shorts in that style too.
Wow, this was really insightful. This makes me think of my previous channel that I neglected. RUclips sucked the joy out of my hobbies (aromatherapy, talking entrepreneurship, and crochet).
Hey Julia,
I can relate so much! I just started a RUclips Channel recently and also recognised that the thought of setting up my camera in general and also between all the steps makes me less motivated to sew. I already filmed a few videos but haven’t edited them completely because I never edited something before and it’s taking me so much time and effort. Like you I am trying to find a balance between sewing and creating content without pressuring myself too much.
Wish you all the best!
Wishing you all the best too! Hope you can find that balance!
I really loved this video. I think it's important to remember for so many people that filming and editing on it's own is such a separate beast - and it's not for everyone! This whole new era of creating content and putting it all online means that we are all doing different things... but we are all filming and editing. And it's not going to bring joy for ... actually A LOT of people. I know a lot of people who have grew fast outsource their editing. But that's not always realistic for small channels who can't afford that. All that hard work doing stuff you dont love.. can really suck the joy and love away from the things you do love!
There’s a very wise piece of advice that I think about a lot, which is to not monetize one’s joy.
I very much appreciate what you have to say, here.
As for what I’m working on, I’m going through my unfinished knitting projects, trying to figure out why I set them aside, and then seeing if I can get them back on track.
Trying to share things on my two channels has taken some of the fun out of things at times for me and does indeed add time to doing what would otherwise be something simple.
Thanks for being honest and upfront.
It can take a lot of prep to be "spontaneous". 😀
Back in high school, I was the only guy who took sewing, alongside wood and metalwork. It was such a unique and fun experience-being surrounded by a class full of girls while learning something different was unforgettable. Fast forward to today, I’ve found my passion in electronics repair, and, like you, I recently started a RUclips channel. My neighbor was the one who encouraged me-he believes this type of content is much needed in our region since no one else is doing it here.
Your video really struck a chord with me. As someone who’s always been a creative soul and loves making and fixing things, I completely understand how editing can take the joy out of a hobby. While I do enjoy seeing a polished final product, the editing process is exhausting. Most of my videos take 2-4 hours to edit, and, as you said, it can make the whole experience feel like a chore instead of a passion.
Thank you for sharing your journey-it reminded me I’m not alone in this, and it’s so encouraging to hear someone else’s story. Keep inspiring others!
This video really resonates with me. Thanks for making it!
The same is happening to me right now, but I can't stop I just started. I sew too but I knew it would be difficult to film all the process, it's a lot. So I decided to show my art instead. Sending love and inspiration on your way. 🤗💞
I completely understand you, I'm in that process right now and I didn't imagine how time consuming it is just to get your video out there. The only thing that keep me going is that I need the extra money, so quitting is not an option for me.
I totally agree. Even with a fast setup where you can just sit down and record, the editing takes a lot of time no matter what. What helped me with "the urge to post something" is live streaming. It lets you show a project in every step and also engage with your community, in more depth than with comments under a video, I would argue. Cool video, very relatable 👍
That's a great point. I appreciate the video. I am just starting my RUclips channel and am finding the difficulties you mentioned. It's refreshing to hear about the power of pivoting when you find something is not working joyfully. I just subscribed and love how talented you are. Thank you for making this video.
This video sort of randomly came in to my youtube recommendations; Short but still very nuanced and thoughtful, really enjoyed listening to your point of view. And I agree, a hobby can so easily become a chore when trying either to monetise it or even just constantly improve because of comparison with other people on the internet and never feeling good enough as a result.
I sometimes think about this too with my channel and I think you are right in every aspect but don;t forget that for a lot of viewers you have done something very positive in that you created community. And thank you for making those videos.
Completely spot-on. I’m not into sewing, but have a camera and again wanted to monetize my hobbies. Turned on the camera and couldn’t even record all the footage I wanted because all the energy just left my body and I had no interest in filming, instead just in the creative process!
I have no idea why RUclips placed your video on my feed, and I'm so glad it did. This was a lovely video that can help a lot of people. Even though I don't sew, I do love creativity and the thought that goes into creative projects. I've subscribed and look forward to more of your videos.
Oh dear, I can relate so well. I design sewing patterns and mostly I just include instructions, which are time consuming enough doing all sketches myself. However the demand for having video instructions was big, so I tried. And damn, that was a s**tload of work and effort. I have one playlist for sewing a blazer and it took me almost two months to complete filming and editing, while trying to work on new patterns for release. I quickly gave up and now I will rather do short tutorials an specific techniques or things, that are hard to explain through just sketches and text. The pressure for creating and releasing new patterns is too demanding to leave time for videos, although I have loads of ideas for videos I would really love to do.
I've thought about designing patterns and looked into it and realized the enormous amount of work that goes into it... maybe one day! I'm glad you are able to dedicate your time to making patterns, and it sounds like you've come up with a great solution to only make short tutorials for speciic technical things.
I can totally see how that would be true re: changing a hobby from fun to work! I’ve been thinking about starting a channel, & this advice helps.
Exactly my sentiment. I am a working photographer and to be quite upfront it’s not as fun as what it was when it was a hobby. Once you make your hobby a business, the fun and enjoyment does reduce dramatically. When young hobbies photographers approached me for advice about becoming professional the first question I asked them is do you still want to enjoy and love photography once you start your business because it will change?
Yeah, this video hits home. I have a massive tutorial video that I'm halfway through editing and just DREADING working on it again. But sometimes making a tightly crafted tutorial is satisfying. I do love sharing my thought process and updates on my personal projects though so trying to figure out how to make recording fun. thanks for sharing your thoughts
I appreciate your hard work on the quality of video: the lighting and the sound are perfect. I can understand how hard it is, and for the same reason I almost stopped to make videos on my hobby - it's like a second full time job to make them good enough in comparison with all the youtubers we watch
You gave me much to think about. I’m on the verge of filming for RUclips and don’t want it to take away the fun. I do like taking pictures of my process because I like to see how I go from one step to another. I need to think on this more to see if and how I can make it work. Thank you.
Glad you found the video helpful!
I enjoy you videos and hope you continue to create content. You have excellent camera presence. It is great to watch videos of someone with a skill for sewing and pattern design. Keep making videos…it does get easier for set up and editing! I look forward to seeing more of your content 😊
Thanks so much!
What pattern did you use for the button down shirt? It's lovely, and I'd like to make my own
Thanks so much! It's actually self-drafted, but this pattern is quite similar. www.heyjunehandmade.com/product/cheyenne-tunic/
I love your personal perspective on this! And thank you so much for talk about it! 💕
Great thoughts. I find it really relatable as someone who has tried creating projects or channels out of my hobbies... both in music and gaming. I also am a video editor as my day job, so it adds an extra layer of "feeling like work" when I have to edit what I've filmed lol
It is extremely tricky. I started my channel skateboarding for myself and to give my kids something to be proud of. In the process of doing this I've started finding the process of editing videos to be really fun! I'm no good at it yet, but I just got me a gopro and I'm excited to start using it. The key for me has been limiting the amount of time that I film. I don't skate to film, if I'm taking a video I try to make it maybe 5% of the time that I'm actually out skating
WOAHH. THIS VIDEO IS SOMETHING I DIDN'T KNOW I needed! It comforts me. Thank you! I love dancing and learning kpop dances, but as I continue filming myself, sometimes it drains me. Therefore, I also stop doing it sometimes because it suddenly becomes a dreadful process for me. But then I'll miss doing the craft and do it again. Hihihi It is actually fun anyway and I think it's cool, that is why I am still doing it.
When I was young I was told find something you love doing, make it your job, and you’ll never get tired of work. Every time I did that I grew to despise the things I used to love.
It's strange that your video popped up on my feed as my area of interest is different, but I've lately been thinking about what you talk about. I have many videos planned but time is always against me. For me it's the editing that eats up the time. Because of this, I've barely engaged with my hobby at all.
I've decided I will film what I do but leave the voice overs & editing to a time that feels right. That way I may actually get to engage with my hobby and actually enjoy it. 😊
Your video popped up on my suggested, and I fully understand what you're talking about and where you're coming from. Tutorials are very time-consuming and the least fun to make. Like what you mentioned about the editing, but also because you can't really talk about anything besides that one thing. The upside is a lot of people do gain knowledge and help from them, so I suppose that's the trade off. Sewing vlogs are more freeing, because you can just talk while making. Anyway, I think I'm rambling, so I'll end this with saying I find you very likeable and your idea for future videos sounds good. I shall sub and lie in wait for your next video
Thanks so much!
Great video! For me the struggle was the voiceover. I found it mind numbingly tedious to narrate the steps of what I am doing, when the viewer can plainly see what I am doing. How many engaging ways can I say, "And then I glued this piece to this piece"? So now I use my story telling as the voiceover.
Do the things you love. You dont have to make tutorials! Its YOUR channel so you share what you feel for sharing and you dont have to make content all the time only even now and then when you feel for it.
I was literally sewing as I was watching this, and I was just thinking earlier how much faster I'm sewing this since I'm not stopping to film it constantly. Thanks for the video!
Great video.
Thats why i make mostly livestreams with minimum to no setup.
But also my hobbie requires little set up.
Also, im not really into sewing, but that shirt looks so profesional 👏
Good one. I'm now in the process of getting back the feeling of fun recording videos for youtube. And it's great to see other people rethinking that too. Thank you for your video
I love creating content and am a full time creator myself but I definitely keep all of my hobbies outside of my niche for myself for these exact reasons. Great video & reminder in the day and age of oversharing everything on the internet.
This happened to me but not via RUclips. I loved music so much that I made it my profession. I taught music in schools for around 30 years. During that time, although I still loved music, it became more of a task. Because in teaching, there's never enough time to get arrangements written and pieces planned out, much of this would take time in my 'spare' time outside of work. In the end, every time I sat down to compose new music or write arrangements of music, it was always overshadowed by having to do this for students. By the end, I had done very little 'music' that wasn't for work. In my 10 years post-teaching, I really haven't done much in the way of music. (This is probably more related to other health factors though.) I've done more art though! Maybe this is my happy balance.
Thanks for sharing your experience! I'm glad you've been able to get into art post-teaching.
I have a sewing RUclips channel since 4 years now and I've been sharing tutorials mostly.. and actually I have your same problems.. making tutorials takes a lot of time and effort but it's a bit difficult for me to switch and find other topic for making more 'chill' videos, because my audience is already used to that..so it's good that you realized that very quickly..! 🤗
I learned this lesson regarding selling my creations (sewing, crocheting, artwork, etc...). When I tried to do this it took all the joy out of the process. Now, like you I enjoy RUclips and feel like I ought to not miss this opportunity, but... Is is the juice worth the squeeze? I'm not sure.
I LOVE this message. Thank you for it, and I hope you have decades of fun hobby time coming!
Thanks so much!
Making videos is one of my hobbies. I didn't realize how much of a gift that is when paired with other hobbies. Thanks!
The way you respectfully perfecting your garments I can tell right away that you can’t afford to post imperfect video. I understand your frustration, and agree: if you want to sew - just sew! Maximum make a Live Photo once in a while ❤ but enjoy your primary activity - and focus on yourself
I totally agree with you…the creativity completely die…when you have to do 10 things keeping in mind..I got completely burned out..
sometimes feel internal and external pressure to expand in to RUclips video making because my hobbies bring me so much joy especially my blog. However as you said it becomes work. I appreciate working a part-time gig and letting my free time be devoted to my hobbies.
This is so true. I mostly film content around solar. And filming/editing can become very tedious at times. I guess a lot of it depends on the persons motivation for starting the channel. And that can evolve over time.
I’m still working on finding a good balance for my channel. In the meantime I still love what i do, but I guess it’s about finding that balance to make the whole process enjoyable.