Why I Started A Patreon
At time of writing, I am 9 months into being a YouTuber – an ideal gestation period. I figured now would be a good time to experiment on another platform, and try to cultivate a community outside of YouTube.
Some people have asked if there's a way they can support the channel, so this is in part an answer to that (I'm humbled and grateful for anyone who wishes to do so). But I'm also interested in showing a bit of what goes into creating my videos, and doing some stuff that just isn't possible on YouTube.
I'm not exactly sure how this will grow and develop, but I'm very interested in seeing where it goes. Thanks to all who have expressed interest.
-Andrew
Comments (3)
Hey Joe, thanks for your question. Outside of YouTube I'm a professional scriptwriter and film producer, so in my case the channel overlaps with my job quite a bit. I'm one of those fortunate YouTubers who had a lot of video experience already when starting the channel – though I had to teach myself quite a bit about lighting, shooting, etc (I don't operate a camera in my work). I write and produce videos for various organizations – health agencies, businesses, government, etc. I've also produced a few independent documentaries for film and broadcast with some success. As you can imagine, working in the film business, I've always been curious about YouTube, so I decided to take the plunge this year and just see what it was like (it's amazing). I'd say if it's something you're considering, you should also just jump in. Don't overthink. Just do. Many people assume that you need a bunch of film gear to get started, but I'd say the key skill that makes the difference in this platform is writing, the skill you already have. When I started the channel, I had a lot of doubt that my channel would attract an audience. But after one year, I can tell you that the YouTube algorithm is shockingly good at finding people who will be interested in your video. If you're wondering about how to make the leap from health care to writing more generally, I can tell you that I was once in that position. For years I was an English teacher. I used to just write for fun, and publish stuff on a blog that nobody ever read. But I had ONE FRIEND who read that blog, and he was a camera operator. One day, he needed a script writer for a job he was working on, and he asked me if I could help. That led to my film career. The only way he knew I was interested in writing was the fact that I had a blog. So the lesson is to just WRITE, and put yourself out there as a writer – even if it's only to your close social network. BE a writer, and people will accept you as one.
Phenomenal advice, thanks!
I’m so interested what you do for a living outside of YouTube. My day job is a nurse, but I write as a hobby. I’d love for my hobby to be my job, but I haven’t gotten to the point where I feel comfortable taking that leap.