blogging

You Can’t Just Be Creative

A while ago I wrote a blog post about buying a new camera for my YouTube videos. I was struggling just filming with my phone, and felt that a camera would be a decent investment. I narrowed down my choices and ended up getting the Sony ZV-1.

It has been a pretty good choice for me. The main complaint I have about it is that it eats battery life like it is starving. To combat that, I purchased three additional batteries along with a charger, and that has worked for me thus far. I may need more batteries down the line, we shall see.

I knew a while back that you can't just 'make' YouTube videos. You have to edit them as well. I started out on simple software that allowed me to do basic things. As I gained more knowledge, I needed the ability to do more. A lot of people use Final Cut Pro (Apple Produce) or Adobe Premiere Pro.

I did not and do not like the idea of paying a subscription service for a product that I rely on to do things if that makes sense. It is the same reason I haven't upgraded from Microsoft Office 2007. There is nothing in the Office 365 version that I need bad enough to subscribe and have to pay a monthly fee for. No thank you. With a little help from my husband, I started using Blender.

Blender is known as a 3D rendering software. It allows you to make art and stretch your creativity. It also has a video editing portion and that is what I use. It allows me to do a lot of the things I see other youtubers do. If you can do it in Final Cut Pro, chances are I can do it in Blender as well. There are also a ton of tutorials on Youtube for Blender. Everything I have learned how to do, I've learned from Youtube. It's gotten to a point where I can look for a tutorial on how to do something, watch it, and it may be set up for FCP, but I know the tools of Blender well enough to apply the tutorial to Blender itself. It may take a few extra steps, but I get it done.

Me learning how to use overlays in Blender.

I never thought I would use the other portions of blender. I am not a graphics artist. I am not an artist period. I suck at art. I literally got a D in 6th grade art. But I am learning I can create visual effects for my videos in the other modes of Blender, which means more tutorials.

What I am learning in my ripe old age, is that doing something doesn't just mean doing it and being done with it. I wanted to make podcasts. You don't just record and that's it. You have to learn your software, you have to learn to edit, you have to learn how to upload. You can't just make youtube videos. You have to know how to edit. If there is something special, you have to learn how to do that as well. Sure, you can pay someone to do it, but you have to at least know a little bit so you can express what it is that you want from them. Every time I pick something up, my brain gets stretched a little more. In the beginning of the pandemic, I started writing again. I wrote a whole fan fiction book. You can see the improvement from where I began to where I started, as fiction and dialog writing is much more difficult that writing a blog. I have been out of school for many years, I have forgotten the rules, so I had to do my research. My bookshelves are filled with K-pop and writing books.

The same is true with all of my other hobbies. I am learning and growing. It's never a simple matter of just doing the thing, no matter how much someone tells you that you just need to get out there and and do it. For you to be great, you have to be willing to learn. I like to succeed in everything I do. I'm trying. I'm learning, and I am working. Thank you for sticking with me.

Some of the learning I am doing. Enjoy!

Prepping my Equipment

With the ability to blog more often, I needed to get my tech life in order. I also needed to do it cheaply, because I am balling on a budget. 

Let's start with my phone. 

I am currently rocking a 32GB Nexus 5x. Side note, I was in the mall grabbing lunch last week and the woman in the Sprint kiosk tried to tell me my phone was old! My phone is old if you are one of those people that gets the latest and greatest as soon as it comes out, and while I would love that to be me, I do not have it like that. My phone will do just fine, thank you weird Sprint lady. Ugh.

Anyway, on my phone I use Feedly to see what is going on in the technology world, Twitter and Facebook to keep up with you guys. While I do have the WordPress app on my phone, I was running into issues publishing documents on there. That has been fixed, but typically I use Evernote to write my blogs, and publish on my laptop when I get home.

Now, have you ever tried typing anything other than texts on your phone? It is long, tedious, and a hassle. When I would go to proofread, I would literally be crosseyed. Enter my Kindle Fire

I've owned a Kindle Fire for a few years now, using it mainly for internet browsing. I decided that I needed to make it work for me. For Christmas last year I recieved a cover for my Kindle that has a bluetooth keyboard attached, which is what I use when I am on my lunch break. I have Evernote installed on this as well, so as long as I have wireless access, my entries are populated across every device I have Evernote installed on. 

In addition to Evernote, I have a clipping tool, so that I can screenshot as needed and a file browser, so I can work around the limitations of the Kindle. For example, I am currently working on crafting some gifts. I have a notebook set up in Evernote about one of my projects. I had a zip file in the notebook. I unzipped the file, but you don't really have a way to file explore on the Kindle without an additonal app. Is the Kindle the most functional and convenient tool for blogging? Not really, but with the proper apps it works just fine, I had it already, and after adding a keyboard it works beautifully. 

You may ask why don't I take my laptop where ever I go. I mean, it's a laptop right? Well, yes it is a laptop, but it is a gaming laptop and is massive. The only time I take it with me is if I am headed on a trip out of town. Even then, a lot of times it does not get pulled out, especially if it is something I can do quicker with my phone (check email, tweet, Facebook).

The thing I am noticing however, is that the battery drains on the Kindle Fire quickly. I have to charge it daily, even if I am not using it. It is an older model as well, so there is no fast charge on this thing. It takes forever to fully charge if I let it drain completely. I usually find out when I get to work. If it is completely dead, I can get it to maybe 25% before lunch time. 

I honestly want a bigger tablet, something with a little more power that I can use for other things. But that is a little further down the line.

Just did not have the time

While I said I did not have the time to write a blog, honestly, with all the time it took to process this video on youtube, I could have probably written a blog. Any way, here it is, in all of its glory. Please comment, rate, or review or all of the above!

Advertising your blog, but being shy.

For those of you that do not know, I go to school. I am at IUPUI here in Indianapolis, Indiana. Every Monday and Wednesday I am in the same building. I see several girls with natural hair that I want to chat up. I would love to give them my card and just, shoot the breeze.

The problem?

I am sort of shy. If you know me, that's fine I am okay. But I can't just walk up to random people and start talking. I get all squeaky. Hell, it took me a month to start talking to the guy that sits next me in class. Now we are fast (in class) friends. In comparison, it took me 10 minutes to hate the girl that sits next to me (she brings luggage to class, blocking the isle and sits there asking stupid questions and cracking her knuckles.). Anyway, Does anyone else have this problem? How do you personally overcome it?